Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear
by Taylor Jae
Summary: Stand-alone sequel to Troy and Gabriella: Beautiful Eyes. Troy and Gabriella continue their last two years of high school, and face many challenges, but face them with ever-lasting love. As Gabriella continues to adjust to her blindness, Troy is where her days start and end.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, my lovely readers! **

**Thanks so much for the reviews for the ending of Beautiful Eyes. They were awesome as usual. **

**I'm hoping you guys will like the sequel, too. **

**You guys are seriously the best, though, I mean it. I have the most amazing readers ever! Thanks again for reading BE and now the sequel, entitled Perfectly Clear. **

**I don't much about lawyers or law or the process of suing anyone at all, so I'm sorry if this info is inaccurate. I'll do the best that I can, and hopefully that'll be enough. **

**Oh, and disclaimer: I don't own HSM, or any other brands or restaurants mentioned. **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 1

**Troy's POV: **

It's March now.

And that means the sunshine has finally returned to Albuquerque after months of clouds and rain. That means that it's finally warm again. That means it's been nearly a year since Brie was announced going blind, and everything was changed forever.

That means the lawsuit is over.

Well, almost over. I like to think of it as over because the worst part has already happened, and is closed off and sealed, never to occur again, which is a relief, because I doubt whether Brie or I could go through that all over again.

_Flashback; Still Troy's POV: _

We entered the courthouse together, Brie and I, and sat down by our lawyer, John Turner. Brie is literally shaking beside me. I put my hand on her knee to restrain her nerves, and she takes my hand and grips it tightly.

"Hey, guys", John Turner says now, turning around in his seat to face us. "Remember, just like we rehearsed yesterday. Gabriella, you'll do great."

"Yeah, well", Brie mutters under her breath and no one says anything else.

The courtroom is tense and serious and still, even with all the reporters outside. The hearing for our case has actually been going on for several weeks, Brie and I have been there for nearly all of it, causing us to miss quite a bit of school and basketball practice. We talked to Principal Masters and our teachers, and though we've tried hard to keep up on the homework, they're cutting us a few days' slack, which I know Brie is grateful for. The reporters were even more aggressive today, since this was the day Brie would be testifying.

I see Terri Rightman, with her yellow-blond hair and her black suit, sitting on the other side of the courtroom and I grip Brie's hand even tighter. The judge comes in, sits in her seat, shuffles her papers, glancing at them for a second before looking around the courtroom, taking a deep breath, and looking ready.

"Well, shall we?" She says, and everyone shifts in their seats again.

The lawyer on Terri's behalf, Alan Jergenson, starts off first, firing questions at John. He answers them remarkably well, very smoothly and concise. I see he really is a good lawyer, even if Brie has to testify. The whole time this is going on, I want to jump out of my seat and defend Brie myself, but I can't. I have to sit back and let John do that, and let myself realize that I can't protect her anymore than I already have. And, hey, she was quite angry at me for trying to do that in the first place, so I should learn from my wife that she's her own person and that as much as I want to, I can't save her from everything, even if I want to.

After this, the judge calls a recess for an hour.

"You guys go and grab something to eat and I'll meet you back in here at ten to one, to discuss what's going to happen next, all right?" John says.

"Sure", I say, "C'mon, Brie", and we walk out of the courthouse together, into the mob of reporters and cameras and microphones. Brie ducks her head and I try to shield her from the glare of the lights, even if she can't see anymore. We finally get out of the crowd and I see Taylor, Chad, Sharpay and Ryan, Kelsey and Jason, and my parents and in-laws.

"How're you doing, guys?" Shar asks.

"We're OK", I says glancing down at Brie who nods.

"We're all right, Shar. Nothing too bad has happened yet."

"We're here for you guys, if you need anything..."

"We know, thanks", smiling at my friends. "Look, we were going grab lunch somewhere, do you want to-"

"We'll meet you there", Chad says, indicating to the restaurant across the street.

"We'll be there in a few minutes", I say, and they start to walk over. Our parents approach us next, hugging us too hard.

"Oh, honey", my mother says to me, hugging me.

"I'm fine, Mom, really. We're both fine. Promise."

"Well, we're here for you, Troy, Dad and me."

"Thanks, Mom. I know you are." She hugs me one last time and then hugs Brie. When we finish hugging Mark and Chanda and my father, we are free to go have lunch with our friends.

_Still the Flashback; Still Troy's POV: _

After the forty-five minute lunch we got to spend with our friends, going back to the courthouse is the last thing Brie or I wish to do.

"I just wish this was over already", Brie says quietly as we begin to walk up the concrete stairs.

"I know", I say just as quietly. "Me too."

I open the door to let Brie go in before me and then we both enter the courthouse. John Turner is waiting for us.

"Its time, Gabriella", John says and Brie immediately looks alarmed.

"Time for what?"

"It's time for you to testify."

_Still the Flashback; Gabriella's POV: _

_Oh, my God._

I'm shaking again. My legs are all wobbly and I feel like I might throw up. I can't do this.

But I have to.

_Still Flashback; Troy's POV: _

As Brie lets go of my hand, stands up, she starts to make her way to the witness stand. I notice that she nonchalantly touches the ends of the wooden pews, and counts them, so she knows how many rows back her seat next to me is. She lightly touches the edge of the wooden witness stand and carefully climbs the stairs up to the chair, using her cane. The jury shifts in their seats again as they watch this, and I glance back at John Turner again, and his face shows no emotion.

_Still Flashback; Gabriella's POV: _

"State for the courtroom your name and address, please", I'm asked.

"Gabriella Catherine Bolton", I say, my voice shaking and small.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that, please, miss?"

"Gabriella Catherine Bolton", I say, a little louder, clearing my throat. "Address, 264 Breezeway Drive, Apartment 2, here in Albuquerque, New Mexico."

"All right", the judge says, shuffling her papers again, "Gabriella, you were with Terri Rightman on the afternoon of November, the 10th, correct?"

"Yes, I was", I say.

"You were having an Orientation and Mobility lesson with her, is that right?"

"Yes", I say. "Our first lesson together."

"Could you explain to the jury was exactly goes on in an Orientation and Mobility lesson?"

"O and M lessons are sessions for the blind or visually impaired. They're set up to help teach that person skills on navigating in the streets, how to use cross-walks, how to find different restaurants and stores, how to navigate inside a mall or shopping center, using auditory skills and not relying on sight. They're in place so I'd know how to make a map, how to make sense of my surroundings, using touch and hearing, not sight."

"But this O and M lesson was different for you, correct? In what ways was it different?"

I bit back a sigh and said, "I just went blind in August, so this O and M lesson was the first since the blindness claimed me. I wasn't sure how it'd go, if I'd have to re-learn everything."

"And did you?"

"Well, we didn't exactly get that far...We did some visual field testing, which always takes a while-"

"Could you explain to the jury what that is, Visual Field Testing?"

I bit back another sigh, and said carefully, "Visual Field Testing is seeing how much peripheral vision a person has. The person who's doing it on that given day will set you in a chair, facing this kind of concave board that looks kind of like a dart bored. There'll be a lit-up dot in the center that stays on throughout the test and rings around it, like a dart board. The person who's doing the test will flash lights around the dot in the center, on the rings and you have a clicker, that you press whenever you see the flash of light. You also have a blind-fold over one eye, and you do one eye at a time. It's to test how far out you can see, how much peripheral vision you have, like I said before. I didn't have very much at all before, and now, well, it's pretty non-existent."

"Do you think Terri Rightman should've known that before she started the lesson?"

"Know what? About me having no peripheral vision?"

"Yes", the judge says. "Do you think Terri Rightman should've known that you no longer had peripheral vision?"

"Well, yes", I say, taken aback. "I hadn't thought about it before, but she didn't even use the lit-up bored with the dot. We did the visual field testing outside, with a paper cup to put over each eye. That seemed odd to me right away."

"Is that the first thing to happen during your lesson?"

"Yes, that's the first thing that happened." And then I pause and hesitate and says, "Well, technically,the very first thing that happened was that Terri Rightman asked me if I had had any O and M lesson before."

"And what did you say?"

"I said that I had, on and off, for the last five years. I've moved around a lot, so..."

"And what happened next, Gabriella?"

"And then she asked if I had heard of her, and asked why I hadn't had time to prepare for the lesson with her."

"Have any of your other O and M instructors asked any such questions?"

"No", I said. "No they haven't."

_Still Flashback, Troy's POV: _

Watching Brie being questioned by the judge on the witness stand is terrible to watch. At least for me it is. The jury is interested, but silent. Having her rehash events she just wants to forget about is not what I thought it would be like. The judge keeps asking all these detailed questions about what visual field testing is, and I'm starting to feel sad for Brie in a way I haven't been before. She's lived her whole life visually-impaired. And now she's blind. And yet she's always optimistic. She's realistic, she's thoughtful, she's wonderful. She's my Brie, and my heart hurts for her right now in a way it hasn't before, in a bittersweet way. I'm _proud _of her. And I grow even more proud as she answers these next questions:

"Gabriella, when did the incident with the on-coming car occur?"

"It was after the Visual Field Testing, after we'd made a map of a nearby street that has several store along it. I as walking along the sidewalk, toward a cross-walk, trying to follow the map. I had never followed a map directly with no sight at all, so I was floundering a bit, terribly unsure of myself and my surroundings."

"Did Terri Rightman address that at all? That you were having trouble?"

"No", Brie says slowly. "She didn't."

"And what was she doing instead?"

"Typing e-mails on her BlackBerry", Brie answers. "That's why she didn't see me cautiously approach the cross-walk and step out into the street. That's why she failed to see the car coming towards me. That's why she didn't do anything afterward to see if I was all right. And that's why we're here today."

I want to jump up and cheer, but I don't. Instead, I turn to John Turner to see his mouth turned up just slightly. I looked back up at Brie and smile at her. Somehow, I know she knows I'm glad.

_Still Flashback; Gabriella's POV: _

Oh, God. Oh, God. I hadn't even planned on saying that last comment, and yet there it is, out of my mouth. I start shaking again, though I'm not sure why. Nerves, I guess. What does that mean, anyway? What is Terri Rightman thinking right now? What is _Troy_ thinking right now? What if-

"All right", the judge says then. "Thank you, Gabriella. You may return to your seat. Everyone, we're done for today-

The many lawyers and reporters in the room start to protest, but the judge silences them, because soon the room is quiet and still again.

"As I said", the judge starts again. "We're done for today. I've heard enough."

The courtroom starts to stir and I hear wood creaking and people's feet on the ground, and I start to feel a little panicky. _Um, hello_, I want to say, I_'m still up here! _

But before I know it, I feel Troy's hand grip mine.

"Hey, Breezy", he says, kissing me quickly on the cheek. "You did great", he whispered into my ear. "Ready to go home?"

"Yeah", I said, as he helped me down and I snuggled into him.

"Hey, guys", John Turner says, coming toward us. "You did great up there, Gabriella", John says. "I knew you would."

"Thanks", I say simply.

"What happens now?" Troy asks, always the one eager to take action, to fix things any way he can.

"Now we wait", John says.

"Will we have to come back here?" I ask.

"Only to hear the verdict, which will be in a few weeks or so", John says. "For now, go home. Get some rest. Do some homework. I'll call you if I know anything."

There's some rustling of fabric, and I imagine Troy and John are shaking hands.

"Thanks, John", Troy says now. "For everything. Thanks for believing in a couple of kids."

"You're welcome, Troy, Gabriella", the lawyer says. 'You'll both be just fine."

And then I hear feet stepping near mine and the sound gets smaller and smaller, as John Turner walks away.

**Troy's POV: **

And so we waited.

We went home and did homework and Brie freaked out over a paper that was due and I calmed her down. We went back to school for a full day and had kids asking and asking what had happened; they kept telling us they had seen us on the news and everything and Brie and I tried to downplay what had happened as best we could. We kept seeing ourselves on the news and fielding calls from television people and local reporters wanting an interview. And, we kept turning down all the people that wanted an interview with us. Apparently, this whole thing was a bigger deal than we had originally thought.

And then finally came the day when we got that call from John saying that court was in session for our case and that we should get down to the courthouse. So, we left English class and raced to the Audi and got to the courthouse about fifteen minutes later. I helped Brie out of the car and we ran together inside, me dragging her along, and she trusting me to lead her in the right direction. We get inside just as the doors are closing and slip into seats next to John Turner.

"Hey", he says in a whisper. "Glad you guys could make it. They're just about to announce to verdict."

"How long have you been here?"

"Since eight, when court started for the day.", John replies. "Where were you guys?"

"English class", I whisper back. And then the judge steps up to her seat, bangs her gavel once to quiet the room, and then says,

"Announcing the verdict for case #27485, John Turner vs. Alan Jergenson."

I grip Brie's hand tightly and she catches her breath. "Oh, God", she mutters,

"Based on the evidence given in court on January 16th, and the weeks previous, and based on the jury, I hereby declare Terri Rightman under the lawyer Alan Borgenson guilty of mis-conduct and lack of communication. Sentenced to probation and counseling, also a severe job evaluation, and possible termination of employment."

_We won!_ a voice in my head immediately screams at me, but the second the verdict is out of the judge's mouth, I automatically look to Brie, who's face is tight and pinched, and tears are in her eyes and her mouth is between a smile and a frown.

"Brie?" I say in a whisper, and she looks up at me.

"I'm OK", she mouths.

And a second later, when the news sinks in, the courtroom erupts, in people talking, the lawyers talking to each other, reporters scribbling on their tablets and snapping pictures. I see Terri Rightman duck her head and leave the courtroom, with her lawyer in tow, the two talking quietly. She doesn't look over at us once.

"We did it, you guys", John says, his voice still level and calm, but I can tell he's pleased by the smug look on his face.

"We did", Brie says. "We did it." Her voice is pinched and the tears are pricking at the corner of her eyes now.

"Thanks, John", I say. "For everything."

"You'll be paid back for the cost of the lesson-"

"Can we give the money back to SSB?" Brie asks now. "They're the ones who lost out." When no one says anything for a second, she figures out that we are staring at her in disbelief. "Monetarily, I mean," she adds a second later.

"Of course", John says. "If you guys need anything else, or need any help with any other legal problem, feel free to call me, all right?"

"Will do", I say. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Boltons", John says, and then we are left on our own.

**Still Troy's POV: **

We leave the courthouse together, Brie and I, just the way we entered it today, back in January, just like we entered the lawsuit in the first place.

"Brie", I say finally as we near the car, "what's wrong?"

"I just-as much as I feel happy that we got the justice we wanted so this can't happen again, I just-I feel sad for Terri Rightman, too."

"Sad for her!" I exclaim. "Why in the world would you feel sorry for her. She hurt you-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know she did, but...she's a person, too, and now her life's wrecked, because of us."

"Gabriella, listen to me", I say, turning toward her, taking both her hands, not starting the car, just sitting in it, still in the courthouse parking lot. "Someone else's life was made _better_ today by that lawsuit. Someone that we don't know, someone that we may never meet. Someone like you."

"Someone like me", Brie repeats, looking up at me, a tear trailing down her cheek. "Someone like me, who got yelled by a mom who's daughter tripped over my cane. Someone like me, who's gotten teased every year at school because of my disability. Someone like me, who has never been normal and never will be. Someone like me, who is in darkness. Someone like me, who feels so much _less_ than everyone else."

"Someone like you." I say then, wiping away her tears with the pad of my thumb. "Who is the best person I know. Someone like you, who has the sharpest hearing. Someone like you, who has the most beautiful singing voice I've ever heard. Someone like you, who is the most thoughtful, caring, and sensitive person I know. Someone like you, who is the smartest, most sarcastic person at East High. Someone like you, who is loved."

"Thank you", Brie says now, leaning into me, burying her face in my chest. "You always know how to bring me back."

"That's what I'm here for", I say, kissing the top of her head. "Ready to go home now?"

"Yeah", Brie says, looking up now, smiling a small, wavery smile. "Let's go home."

And so I turn on the car, put my arm around Brie as she puts her head on my shoulder, and we drive away from the courthouse, never to return there again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, readers! **

**Thanks for the awesome reviews for the first chapter of Perfectly Clear. They were fabulous, as usual. **

**Enjoy chapter two! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own HSM, or any of the brands or places mentioned. **

**Thanks for supporting this story, you guys. It means so much. Thanks as always for reading! **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

**Gabriella's POV: **

Spring has fully and finally arrived in Albuquerque, and for that I'm glad. Warm sun, blue sky, pretty flowers. No more dark and numb days of winter. No more lawsuit.

It's hard to believe that this time last year was when everything fell apart. And yet, the time when everything came together. When Troy asked me to marry him. When I was announced going blind. When I met Chloe and learned to hope. When I had to face SSB. When Sam "helped." When I spoke at school and freaked out afterward. When Troy became my best friend. When I became afraid of the darkness. When I learned that there would somehow be sunshine afterward.

And, now, look where we are.

We've come full circle. How amazing is that? Nearly a year since everything started to happen. Look how well we're doing! Troy and I are stronger than ever as a couple, in love as ever, and still best friends. Now, maybe, we can have something good again. After all the months of sadness and resentment, I'm sick of all that bleakness. Maybe we can have some happiness, the kind we had when we first started dating, the kind we had when we finally got a grip on the blindness and Troy told me our life was going to be great. Maybe now we can have that again.

One late-March afternoon, when it is warm and sunny, Troy and I decided to hang out at my parent's house. I haven't seen Sam in what feels like forever, since Christmas, probably. And it will be nice just to be around my family when something good is happening, and not when I'm running to them, in trouble. We get there at about 2:40, right after leaving East High for the day.

"Hey, guys", Troy calls as we step through the doorway. "Anyone home?"

"We just got here", Kate said, bounding into the room, with Olivia in tow. "We were just having a snack. Want to join us?"

"Sure", Troy says, and he grabs my hand and we go into the kitchen. "What are you guys having?"

"Greek yogurt", Olivia answers, tearing the lid off the cup.

"Crackers", Kate answers, and I assume she's holding the box of Wheatables, Pecan flavor, because she shakes the box around a little.

"And what will you have, Breezy?" Troy asks.

"Um", I say, "Kate, do we have chocolate chips?"

"Yep."

"Graham crackers?"

"Uh-huh."

"Peanut butter?"

"Right here."

"Could you grab them for me? I don't know our house as well as the apartment anymore."

"Here there are, El", Kate, says, taking my hand, and running them over the three products she grabbed from the pantry. "Want me to make it for you?"

"No", I say, "I think I can do it."

"Here's a knife and a paper towel. Be careful, OK?"

"I will", I say. "That's my line. I usually say that to you."

"I know", Kate says, and I imagine she's smiling a small, shy smile. "But I thought I'd say it to you today."

"Well, thanks", I say, and I unscrew the cap off the peanut butter, get two graham crackers ready on the paper towel and spread peanut butter on both of them. Then, I take some chocolate chips and put a bunch on top of the peanut butter. So unhealthy, but so good. And besides, I only have this every once and a while. Troy snakes his arms around my waist from behind me and takes a bite of my first graham cracker.

"Troy!" I protest, laughing.

"Hey, it looked good", he said, kissing me on the side of my head.

"Make your own!"

"Fine, I will", he says. We are both still laughing.

Troy then proceeds to make a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich, or that's what he tells me anyway, as we are left alone in the kitchen.

"It is so quiet in here!" I exclaim, finally, frustrated. "Can we turn some music on, or something?"

"Couldn't make it ten minutes, could you, Brie-Bird?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"We've only been here for about eight minutes, sweetie, and you couldn't even last that long without music."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask again, crossing my arms across my chest.

"It means", Troy says, coming toward me with a smile in his voice, "that you are creative and special and artistic. It means you love music. And I love that about you."

"I'm pretty obsessed, huh?"

"Yeah, but you know, that's OK. If you're going to be consumed by something, it might as well be something as awesome as music, right?"

"Yeah", I say, "but really, I'm consumed by you."

"Oh, really?" Troy says, kissing me again.

"Really", I say after our kiss. "I could live without music, it would be awful, but I could do it. I can't live without you."

"And I couldn't live without you", Troy murmurs into my hair as he envelopes me in a hug. And then we kiss again. And again. and again. The kissing is growing more intense until we are startled by the door opening and footsteps coming into the kitchen. It is my father and Sam, who are home from work and school.

"Ella!" Sam cries gleefully and runs to me, hugging me around my knees.

"Sam!" I cry, hugging him. "How are you?"

"I'm better now that you're here", he says, and I lean down and hug him again.

"How's school going, Sam?" I ask as Sam leads me into the living room, holding my hand, Troy following behind us.

"It's OK", Sam says in ASL, sitting on the couch in between Troy and me. "School's good for me. Good for you, Ella, school?"

"Yep, school's OK for me, too, Sam."

"Good", he says, and then he snuggles into me. "Can we read a story?"

"You want me to read to you?"

"Yeah."

"Sam, you're six. You know how to read, remember?"

"I know. You taught me, remember?"

"I remember", I say.

"My teacher, Mrs. Johnson, says it's OK". Sam offers.

"OK", I say. "If Mrs. Johnson says it's OK then it must be. Go grab a book and come back here, OK?"

I hear Sam's footsteps leave the room and my father's heavy footsteps enter the living room now.

"El, guess who I saw today?"

"Who?"

"Dr. Luman."

"Really? How's he doing? What'd he have to say?"

"He said to tell you hi, and he hopes you're doing well. I told him you and Troy got married and he said to tell you congratulations."

"Wait, who's Dr. Luman?" Troy asks now.

"You didn't tell Troy about Dr. Luman?" my father asks.

"Dr. Luman was my doctor who diagnosed me with Glaucoma when I was 13 and who had to give me laser surgery when I was 15, the spring before I came here, actually."

"Oh", Troy says quietly. We sit in silence for a second and then Troy gets up and leaves the room. He walks over into the kitchen, I know that because of his feet on the hardwood floor, and to the glass door to the patio that leads to the backyard. He stands there, looking out, for a long, long time.

**Troy's POV: **

Brie comes to me after a while, wrapping her arms around me and kissing the side of my head.

"Hey, you OK?" she asks.

"Yeah", I say, turning to face her. "It's just...I'm just learning all this new stuff about you."

"You knew I had glaucoma. I told you that, didn't I?"

"Yeah, I think you've mentioned it, but you never..." "Oh, Troy, is it the laser surgery? Is that what's worrying you?"

"Yeah", I say, and I know I sound like a little boy again.

"Why? What's to worry about?"

"Well, it's just...whenever I start to think of you as a normal girl, there's always something that takes that away."

"How do you mean?"

"I hate that those things had to happen to you", I say now. "I hate that you were born premature, I hate that you were given a 10% chance. I hate to think what would've happened if you hadn't made it..." I get choked up and my voice trails off. I'm afraid I might actually cry.

"Troy", Brie says, kissing me softly. "Honey, it's OK. It scares me too."

"How do you stand it?"

"I try not to think about it, honestly", Brie answers. "Can you imagine how bleak and depressing things would be if I thought about only that bad stuff all the time? That's no way to live."

"You're right", I say, holding both of Brie's hands in mine. "I just...I just can't lose you."

"Don't worry", Brie says, wrapping her arms around me, leaning into me. "You never will."

**Gabriella's POV: **

Later that night, long after we've returned from my parent's house, long after Troy and I snuggled on the couch and watched the ten o'clock news like a real married couple would do, and long after Troy and I headed to bed, I woke up. I had been in a dreamless sleep and awoken suddenly, but with intention.

"Troy?" I whispered into the dark, lightly shaking my husband, who lay asleep beside me. "Troy?" And still nothing. I sighed, frustrated. I lay back down, my mind still racing. I turned over and tried to sleep, with no luck.

I had gotten an idea.

**Gabriella's POV: **

An idea that I discussed with my father the very next afternoon.

"Hey, Daddy", I say, coming into the living room of my parent's house. I slip my Vera Bradley Go Round Tote into a nearby chair. Troy dropped me off about ten minutes ago and then headed back to East High for a workout with the basketball team. He'll pick me up on his way home.

"Hey, Ella", Daddy says back, coming into the living room now. "You said you had something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Yeah", I said. "Hearing that you saw Dr. Luman yesterday and then talking to Troy about it-"

"He was upset, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, he was. How did you know?"

"I saw the look on his face when you said you had laser surgery", my father said quietly.

"Oh", I said. "Well-"

"Ella, it's OK."

"It wasn't", I say then. "He was totally sad, Daddy. He kept saying, 'I can't lose you', and 'I don't know what I'd do if you hadn't made it'." To my horror, tears are welling up in my eyes again. "It made _me _sad, Daddy."

"I know it did", Daddy says quietly, taking my hand and holding it now, his hand large and protective, safe and warm. "It makes me sad too."

"So I was thinking", I say quickly, trying to get a grip on my emotions and get back to the plan. "To help Troy, and me, too, deal with this, to deal with what happened to me as a baby, I thought it'd be a good idea to visit the Neo-Natal Unit at Mayo."

"Yes", Daddy says in that way of his, acknowledging my thoughts and letting me continue. "OK."

"I mean, I don't remember any of that part of my life. And Troy and I have never talked about it, and I think if we're going to accept it, I mean, in lots of ways I already have, because it's the way I was born and it's the way I've lived my whole life and everything, I guess I just thought...I don't know what I'm saying."

"No, no, I understand", Daddy says. "I think it'd be a good idea for you guys to do that, too."

"You do?"

"Yes", Daddy says. "It'd be a good experience for you two to go through together."

"Would you and Mami want to come with us?"

"No", Daddy says, and I imagine him shaking his head. "Mami and I have already been through it, with both you and Kate, unfortunately, and I think it'd be best if you and Troy went yourselves."

"OK", I say, nodding slowly. "OK."

**Troy's POV: **

"We're going to the Neo-Natal Unit at Mayo", Brie finally says over dinner later that night. "Where I was as a baby."

"We are? Why?" I ask, and already, I am afraid of my wife's answer.

"To give us some closure. I don't remember any of that, and you don't know anything about it, and I think it'd be a good experience for us a couple."

"No", I say, standing up, taking Brie's plate and my own over to the dishwasher and putting them in. "No."

"No? No, what, Troy?"

"No", I say again. "As in, no, I'm not going. As in, no, I won't do this."

"Troy, why?" Brie says, standing up now, walking over towards me as I continue walking into the living room. "Why won't you-"

"I can't", I say, stopping in my tracks. "I cannot go there and see where you were-where you-I can't, OK, Brie? I just can't."

I then proceed to go into the living room, sit on the couch, flip to ESPN and watch Sports Center, letting the noise cancel out my thoughts and Brie's words, leaving Brie standing in the kitchen, where I know she's dumbfounded and hurt. And yet I don't do anything about it. That's the first time I'm that guy, the guy who ignores his wife's wishes. That's the first time I tell her 'no', or 'I can't', the first time I lead her to think I don't love her enough to honor what she wants. And that's the first time I think she believes me.

**Gabriella's POV: **

"Hey, come here", I say to Chad during the rush between third and fourth block.

I asked him during my FACS class by text to meet me outside the FACS room, since his third block classroom is right next door. He takes my arm gently and guides me over to the wall, so we're out of the way of the other kids rushing from class to class.

"Hey, what's up, G?" Chad asks.

"You're his best friend", I say. "Maybe you can get through to him. Because frankly, I've tried and failed miserably."

"G, what are you talking about?" Chad asks. I sigh.

"I want Troy and I to visit the Neo-Natal Unit at Mayo where I was as a baby. He's having a hard time accepting what happened-it was brought up in conversation at my parent's house a few days ago-I mean, I am, too, and I thought going there would help us deal with it."

"And he doesn't want to?"

I sigh again. "He keeps saying, 'I can't', or 'I won't'. He won't give me an answer. I figured you could get through to him if I couldn't."

"Well, I can try, but G, if you can't get through to him, I doubt I'll be able to."

"Just try anyway, OK? I don't know why he's acting all closed-off from me. I don't like it."

"I'll talk to him, all right? Today after our basketball workout."

"Thanks, Chad. Thanks for doing this."

"Hey, no problem, G. Anything for you guys."

Chad hugs me quickly, says, "I'll talk to him", and then we both go our separate ways to our fourth block classes.

**Chad's POV: **

"Troy, man, wait up", I call as I see him leaving the locker room later that same day after our workout with the basketball team.

"What is it, Chad. I have to get home-"

"You are not walking away from me with some lame excuse", I say. "You didn't even bother giving one to your own wife. What does that say, huh?"

Troy stops in his tracks, turns around slowly to face me.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me. Admit it, Troy. It's true, isn't it? You flaked out on G, didn't give her any reason as to why you don't want to go to the Neo-Natal Unit."

"Chad, it's none of your business, OK? Just-"

"It is my business, Troy. Because G came to talk to me about it, because she can't get an answer out of you. At least give me one, will you?'

"It's none of your business."

"Seriously, Troy, give it 's got to be some reason why you won't go with her. You guys do everything together."

"Well, I can't do this one thing for her. Is that an acceptable answer for you?"

"No, it's not. Because I know you'd do anything for that girl, and this doesn't seem like that big of deal."

"It is, Chad, OK?" Toy shouts now. "It is. I can't go. I can't go there and see where she was-where she-where..." Troy runs his hand over his face. "I can't. I won't. I refuse."

"Why?" I say quietly now. The locker room has emptied out.

"Because it's too hard. It's hard for me...to think about what would've happened if...if she hadn't made it. They gave her a 10% chance, Chad. A 10% chance. How can you say that's not a big deal?"

"It is a big deal. But going there, Troy, going to the Neo-Natal Unit maybe will give you some new perspective. And besides, she made it, didn't she? She's here, she's alive and well. I forget too often that she's not fully sighted."

"I do, too", Troy says quietly.

"Go with her", I say. "Besides, how do you think this is affecting G? This has got to be hard for her, too. You owe her this."

"I don't owe Brie anything, Chad. We're not like that. We're an equal partnership, a team, husband and wife, remember?"

"OK, OK", I say. "As her husband, then, you owe her this."

"Yeah", Troy says now. "I do."

"So you'll go? You'll go with G to the Neo-Natal Unit?"

"Yeah", Troy says. "I will."

**Toy's POV: **

I go home to the apartment after my talk with Chad to find Brie in the living room, doing her homework.

"Hey, sweetie", I say, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek.

"Hi", Brie says, but she barely glances at me. She keeps doing her homework. I throw my bag in a nearby chair and sit down, take out my phone and stare at it until I can't take the silence another second.

"Is that your basketball bag?" Brie asks, glancing up at me.

"Yeah", I say. "Why?"

"I'll take it, I'll put a load of laundry in."

"OK", I say, handing her the bag. She starts to walk toward the small laundry room. "Brie, wait", I say then. She stops and waits. I reach to take her hand and she lets me. "I'll go", I say. "I'll go with you to the Neo-Natal Unit."

"You will?" Her whole face lights up, she drops the bag, and I remember again why I married this girl.

"Yeah. This marriage thing is a two-way street. Give and take. And, I figure I might not have so much trouble with all of this if we go there."

"Thanks, Troy", Brie says. "Thanks for this."

"Hey", I say, wrapping her in a hug. "You're worth it."

"That's great, Troy. That's really great. But, can you tell me...why you didn't want to go before? What made you change your mind?"

Now I'm uncomfortable again. But I knew I had to tell her sometime. Or else the actual experience would be a lot more difficult.

"Well", I say. "I just-I don't ever want to think of you as someone who was given a 10% chance, or as someone who needed one. I usually just think of you as Brie, as part of me, and I just wish...I just wish that none of that stuff-"

"Troy, don't worry about all of that!" Brie exclaims. "I'm fine, OK? Seriously, I'm all right."

"Only you can say that, Brie. Only the girl who lost her sight could say that she's all right."

"It's not the end of the world! I mean, my Goodness, Troy, you were the one who taught me that, remember? Without you, it would've been the end of the world. But look where we are, what we've done. Can't you look around and think it's pretty incredible? This marriage and life we're building together?"

"It is pretty great", I say. "I guess I just got scared. Usually I don't think about you that way."

"And I'd like for that to continue. Just think of me as Brie, your wife and best friend. Don't think about the bad stuff. It's no help at all."

"But there's got to be something to remembering your past, right?"

"That's why we're going to the Neo-Natal Unit", she says.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, my lovely readers! **

**The reviews for the second chapter of Perfectly Clear were awesome as usual. You guys are always so nice to me. And to hopelessromanticgurl, this story will never, ever be a one-shot. I'm thinking another fifty or sixty chapters, so I hope you all are OK with that! And to yogaluva, I love how you always address the marital aspects. It feels so grown-up and romantic to call them married, even though in the story Troy and Brie technically are. Thanks for that. Thanks for all your reviews, guys. They are always, always appreciated.**

**Doesn't it feel weird to be saying Perfectly Clear instead of Beautiful Eyes? It's going to take some time to get used to that. **

**I've been thinking about Troy and Brie a lot, too much, probably, but as usual I'm thinking way into the future, when something else baby-related is going on. That'll come later. Promise! **

**Well, seeing as I'm bored with homework and everything else, I decided to come update again. I hope you guys are all doing well and thanks again for reading. Your support has meant so much to me. **

**Oh, and disclaimer, I don't own HSM, the Chanel brand, Goodnight Moon or Mayo or the Neo-Natal Unit there. **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 3

**Troy's POV: **

The day we go to the Neo-Natal Unit at Mayo is a blustery day, windy and clear and cold, a Monday in late March. Ironically, or maybe not ironically, it's the same time last year when all the horrible stuff happened for Brie and I hate that. And yet look where we are. We're still doing this. What does that say about me?

"Troy?" Brie calls from the bedroom. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, sweetie, I am", I say, even though I feel as if I'm not. I've been sitting in the living for the past hour just thinking and I keep going in circles. "Are you?"

"Just about", she says. "Right, Gina?"

"Right, El, we're almost done." I hear Gina's voice, muffled by the wall between us.

A few minutes later, Brie emerges from our bedroom, wearing a black-and-white-striped sweater-dress with quarter length-sleeves and a patent black belt to cinch her waist, as if she needed it. But whatever's in fashion, I guess. She always looks beautiful. Sorry, getting off track. Moving on. She's wearing plain black tights under her dress, an olive green cropped military jacket that ends perfectly at her waist over her dress, and carmel-colored leather flat boots complete the look. Am I getting better at descriptions or what? Just don't tell any of my friends. Anyway, her hair is in curls left down, like always, and her make-up, from what I can tell, is simple.

"You look beautiful", I say, kissing her quickly on the mouth.

"Thanks", she says. "I'm sure you look handsome, too." She wraps her hands around my waist, kisses me again.

"Oh, I do", I say, and we both laugh. "Do you have the tickets?" I ask.

"Yep, they're here in my bag", she says, reaching into her black Chanel bag.

"Awesome. So we're all set?"

"Yes", Brie says. "All set." She shrugs the gold chain of her Chanel bag onto her shoulder, says good-bye to Gina, and then we lock the door to the apartment and get into the Audi. We drive to the airport and I get us coffee while we wait at our gate. The flight is quiet and uneventful and soon we are in Minnesota. When we get there, we get into our rental car and drive to Mayo. It's a good two hour drive there and Brie and I don't say much.

"They know we're coming and everything?" I ask.

"Yes", Brie replies."Dr. Herman said they'd be waiting for us."

"They? Who's they?"

"The doctors who took care of me as a baby", Brie answers quietly.

"Really? They're still there?"

"Yes. They remember me. I'm afraid", she says. I look at her from the steering wheel and I see it in her eyes. The fear.

"Of what?" I ask softly.

"Of not being able to handle all of this. I made you think that I could, but I-I don't know if..." Her voice breaks off and I see her lower lip starting to tremble. She clamps her mouth shut to keep the tears in, swallows hard. She takes a deep breath and I put my hand on her knee.

**Gabriella's POV: **

So there you go. Six hours into this day, not even 10 o'clock in the morning yet, and I'm already starting to lose it. Do you see how pathetic that is? And I thought I could hold it together! Apparently not. Well, whatever. I never said this day would be easy. It's going to be one of the worst and best days and I should be braver than this. I was the one who arranged all of this, anyway. I was the one who spent my Friday afternoon on the phone, talking to the nurse who took care of me as a baby, the doctor who took care of me as a baby, all three of us on speaker phone, like fools, all three of us crying. Troy doesn't know. At least about the crying, anyway. He saw me with my MacBook all night, looking up the flights for this morning and all of that. He just doesn't know how much of a mess I am inside. Well, he'll soon find out, won't he?

Yes, yes, he will because he just informed me that we're here, at Mayo. Oh, God. I love this place. I do love this place. Please, God, let today not ruin that. Please, God, please let today be all it should be.

**Gabriella's POV: **

We get out of the Audi, after having to go round and round in the parking ramp. I always knew Monday mornings were busy. I'm on wobbly legs, all Jello-like, and I grip my Chanel quilted flap bag so hard the chain digs into my skin. I get out my cane and extend it, link my arm with Troy's and we go inside to the elevators.

Once there, we get to the lobby, and then, instead of going up to the seventh floor, we stay and Dr. Herman meets us.

"How've you been doing, Gabriella?" He asks me. "Just fine", I say brightly. I am forever the optimist.

"Good, good. I heard about the lawsuit." I bow my head a bit at that. Of our suing my former O and M instructor I'm not exactly proud.

"Yes, well", I say, and then thankfully, Dr. Jacobs and my former nurse, Julie, arrive.

"Hello, Gabriella", they both say. "And you must be Troy, Gabriella's husband", Julie says.

"That I am", Troy says kindly, shaking both of their hands. "It's nice to meet you both. Thank you for what you did for Brie all those years ago."

"My pleasure, Troy", Dr. Jacobs says, kindly, seriously. "Are you kids ready to go in now? To the Neo-Natal Unit?"

I-I think so", I say, immediately looking to Troy, who squeezes my hand.

"I'll see you guys later, after lunch", Dr. Herman says. "All right?"

"Sounds good", and that's all I can say before my throat closes up.

**Troy's POV: **

Dr. Jacobs leads Brie, Julie and myself down some stairs and into the elevators again. We walk down some long white corridors for what seems like forever. Everything is very still. It is bright and cold. The swish-smack of Brie's cane echoes off the walls and she looks embarrassed by that. It is the only thing that breaks through the silence and I'm thankful for that. We finally arrive at gray swinging doors that read: Mayo Clinic Neo-Natal Unit in red.

"Right through these doors", Dr. Jacobs says, gently guiding Brie through them, even though she looks hesitant. She reaches back for my hand. We walk step in step together, and together we enter the Neo-Natal Unit.

It is still bright and still cold. There isn't much talking or sound, except for the hum of the incubators. That's where the babies are. That's where Brie was. I take a deep breath. I look down at Brie, who looks quite shocked. I'm not sure what she's aware of, but I can tell it's more than I'll know because of that look on her face. Julie puts her arm around Gabriella comfortingly. Brie looks ready to cry. She politely shrugs out from under Julie's arm and says, "So, um, this is..."

"Yes, this the Neo-Natal Unit", Dr. Jacobs says. He takes her arm and leads her over to one incubator. "This is the one you were in, Gabriella. Right now, a little baby, a girl, named Faith is in it."

"H-How's she doing?" Brie barely whispers.

"Oh, very well. She's had a tough road, like you, but she'll pull through. We're taking good care of her."

"Oh", Brie says and tears flood her voice. It's all wavery and feathery, light as air but heavy with sadness. "That's good."

"It is good", Dr. Jacobs answers. "And here are Faith's parents. Michael, Laura, meet Gabriella Bolton. She's here with her husband, Troy. Visiting us. She was once where Faith is now."

Laura takes one look at Brie, taking in her dress, her cane, her wedding ring, and says, "Can I give you a hug?"

"Of course", Brie answers, and they embrace for a quick moment. They both pull away trying not to cry.

"So you're doing well?" Michael asks. "You're OK?"

"For the most part, yeah, I am", Brie says. "i made it, and I'm married and happy and doing OK. I could say the same about Faith, though. Dr. Jacobs says she's doing well."

"She is", Laura says. "But we've seen our share of sadness for the time she's been here, other babies, who haven't..." She's struggling, but she collects herself and continues. "I'm sure it was hard on your family, too, Gabriella."

"It was", Brie says. "And it still is. That's why Troy and I are here today."

"How about a tour?" Dr. Jacobs says then.

"That sounds good", I say, and so we leave Michael and Laura with their daughter and go to the other parts of the unit. We look at all the new state-of-the-art equipment and all of the new technology. I find myself feeling happy for the new possibilities, but still sad for everyone that has to be in the Neo-Natal Unit at all.

"Why would anyone want to do this?" I ask quietly. "Be here? With all the sadness."

"Saving people, Troy", Dr. Jacobs says. "Saving lives. Saving babies. It's all life. It's terrific joy and horrible sorrow. It's miracles like Gabriella here", he says, putting his arm around her shoulders, "that make it all worth it."

"She is a miracle", I say, and then happy and sad tears trickle down our faces.

**Gabriella's POV: **

After the tour, Dr. Jacobs leave us to have lunch. We eat in the cafeteria, but don't eat very much. We don't talk, just pick at our food, pushing it around on our plates. Neither of us has an appetite.

After we eat, or don't eat, Dr. Herman comes to see us and we spend a bit of time chatting with him.

"I saw Dr. Luman the other day", I offer, because I can't think of what to say. "Well, technically my father saw him."

"Yes, Dr. Luman and I have been good friends and colleagues for a long time now", Dr. Herman says. "We went to Med school together. We were in each other's weddings."

"That's so cool", I say. "To have life-long friends like that. I can only hope that's how our high school friends will become." I think of Taylor and Chad and Sharpay and Kelsi and Ryan and Zeke and Ted, all back at East High, all totally disconnected from anything we're going through today. How great of friends they are for loving us anyway. I fight off the girl inside me who is screaming at me to be more like them. To not want this, to be here at the Neo-Natal Unit, where we are only feeling sorrow and pain.

Instead, I say, "So, ready to see more miracles?"

**Troy's POV: **

We go back into the Neo-Natal Unit with Dr. Jacobs and Julie. We meet lots of other families with babies in bad states, some are doing well, some...not so much. And every time, it manages to take my breath away. _Please, God_, I think to myself, looking over at Brie, as she holds Faith and as she reads to her and as tears fill her eyes, _please, please, whenever we have a baby, please help them to not end up here. _I don't know if that makes me human or horrible, but at this point I'm too numb to care. Or, at least, I wish I was numb. Because I am too full of feeling right now, my sadness is so big I can hardly stand it. I am afraid it is going to crush me.

"Troy?" Brie asks me now. "Would you like to hold Faith?"

Yes, yes I would, I think to myself. I would like to hold faith, to hold onto the idea that goodness and truth and miracles still can happen, even in a place like this where so much sadness is. I'd like to think that Brie will be OK, for real, not for me or for her family or for anyone at East High, but finally OK, for her; OK in her own skin, OK with who she is. Because I know, deep down, she's still acting, aching to be the girl she was before. She's still longing for something she can no longer have, grieving the loss of her former self, her former life. And I want her to be my wonderful Brie, my wonderful girl who is vivacious and true and good, the best person I know. She still is all those things, somehow, and I cannot wait for the day when she starts to become them again.

So as she presses the tiny baby into my arms gently, tears fill my eyes and I hold Faith and will myself to be better.

**Troy's POV: **

As the late-afternoon sun starts to blur in the sky, spewing pink and purple and blue everywhere, Brie and I are still there. Brie is sitting in a rocking chair, with Faith on her lap, reading quietly to her, Goodnight Moon. As I look around at all the incubators, all the baby boys and girls who are here like Brie was all those years ago, the reality of this place grips me and I feel sick.

We leave at around 4:30, with hugs from Julie and well wishes from Dr. Jacobs.

"Thank you, Gabriella", he says quietly as we are walking out of the unit. "Thank you for coming today. Stories like yours are what keep me doing this, keep me hoping that, somehow, everything will be all right." Brie loses it then.

"Thank you for saving me", she says, and they hug.

We walk out of the unit holding hands. I watch as Dr. Jacobs and Julie walk away from us, looking back at us each once, and only once. Brie and I don't say anything. Instead, she slumps against the wall and sits on the floor. She puts her head in her hands. I sit next to her.

"Who do I feel so guilty?" She asks desperately.

"Because", I say, "you are Gabriella Bolton, the best person I know. Because you want to save all of them." We sit there for a while, not saying anything, Brie silently crying, tears trailing down her cheeks.

After a while, we stand up, look around, look at the those gray doors with the red letters. I look at Brie, gather her up in my arms, the anguish spilling over everywhere. We both stand in the hallway, silent and sad, holding each other, and crying.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, guys! **

**Seeing as I'm again bored with homework and again amazed by your wonderful reviews, I'm here to update once again. You guys, your reviews were awesome. I love how Pumpkinking5 always says, "Thanks!" at the beginning of the review. Thanks again for reading, everyone! **

**Some FanFics you guys might want to check out: A wonderful Troyella trilogy, Meant To Live, The World As We Know It, and Whatever Will Be, all by . . These stories are so lovely. Another Troyella story, two of them, California Dreaming, and Sweet Dreams and Fragile Hearts, both by the same author, and they go together. These two stories are so beautiful. And, if you guys love Titanic and Jack and Rose like I do, check out A Love That Never Fades. That story is so wonderful. If you have an FanFics you want me to check out, leave them in a review. **

**Is anyone else in love with Taylor Swift's new song, "Begin Again?" Is anyone waiting super anxiously and excitedly for Red to come out October 22?**

**Here's chapter 4 for you all. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own HSM, "Sweet Child o Mine", or Taken By Trees, who perform the song I use in this chapter, or "Fearless", by the lovely Taylor Swift.**

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 4

**Gabriella's POV: **

We get back to Albuquerque at around seven o'clock that night. We go straight home to the apartment. We are both so tired. We don't talk, but in hushed voices. We are both lost in thought, thinking about Faith and Dr. Jacobs and Julie and Mayo. We order take-out and eat in the living room, with the TV low. We snuggle together, but turn in at about 9:00. We both fall asleep immediately.

I awake the next morning at five. The apartment is still and quiet. I sit in the living room and look out the window, feeling the warm sun on my face.

I think about Faith and Laura and Michael, who are there today, as they have been for days and days now. I think of Dr. Jacobs, who tries to save them all. I think of how he saved me. I think of how I probably should stop thinking about all of this. _I'm going to make myself sick_, I think. I think about Troy, how reluctant he was to do this, to come with me. Maybe we shouldn't have? Was it a mistake? It sure feels like one, with how much pain is here, now. But come to think of it, the first few hours in this apartment were filled with pain. Scratch that. They were actually filled with happiness; terrible, perfect, too-good-to-be-true happiness. Maybe we got what we deserved. Maybe I'm being cynical and irrational.

I get out my guitar and play "Sweet Child o' Mine", the Taken By Trees version. My voice is soft and clear in the early morning. And when I'm done, I bow my head and cry and cry, for all the lots ones and for all of them that were saved. I put my guitar away and sit back in the chair with the sun, feeling sadder than I probably should be. What's wrong with me? I mean, seriously? Why does everything have to be so dramatic? Our lives are not some TV show, you know! Should I be happy or sad that our lives are comparable to some TV drama? Should I even have to ask myself that? Why does-

"Brie?" Troy's voice startles me. I jump from the chair, turn around to face him.

"Troy", I say. "You scared me."

"You looked like you were a million miles away", he says, giving me a gentle good-morning hug.

I don't answer.

"What time is it?" I ask.

"Almost seven, around 6:45."

"I've got to get ready", I say, and so I dart into the bedroom to avoid any further conversation.

**Troy's POV: **

When we arrive to school that day, our friends crowd around us, peering at us with concerned faces.

"How're you doing? How was yesterday?" Taylor asks, putting a hand on Brie's arm. Brie, by the way, is wearing a full, A-line, knee-length skirt with stripes of different colored lace in it: brown, gray, tan, black, white, cream, all neutral colors. She's wearing a simple black boat-neck sweater with short, flow-y sleeves, nude-colored tights, and her black suede ankle boos with the sturdy heel. Her hair and make-up are standard.

Brie and I glance at each other before she answers. "It was..."

"It was a strange, sad, draining, surreal day", I say quietly. Brie nods and doesn't say anything else. The bell rings then and she says, "let's get to class, Troy", and so we go.

**Troy's POV: **

In history class that day, we end up talking about World War II. We are having a discussion about the concentration camps, taking notes. Mr. Fletcher starts talking about the criteria, how the SS men thought, how the people coming into the camps were ranked. Next to me, Brie is scribbling down notes as quick as she can, referring to both what the teacher is saying and her auditory notes on her MacBook. As she writes one sentence in particular, though, one sentence I have yet to get to, apparently, her mouth goes into a long grim line and her hand clenches her pencil hard. And then I realize why.

"The disabled would be the first to go to the group on the left during the "selection" process", the teacher says, and Brie stands up.

"It's not fair!" She cries, her voice cracking. "It's not their fault! Having to go first. It's not their fault!" She puts her hands to her face to keep the tears from slipping down her cheeks, and runs from the room. I stand up, too, look at my teacher, in front of everyone, and say, "Mr. Fletcher, can I...?"

"Go on, Troy", he says in a low voice.

"Thank you." I flee.

**Troy's POV: **

Out in the hallway, it is quiet. All the doors are closed. The only sounds are that of Brie's tears and the sound of her boot heels echoing off the walls. I gather her up in my arms and she nods against my shirt and cries. We stand like that, holding each other, not saying anything, for a long, long time. We become lost in each other, lost in thought. Brie is still crying. We stay that way even as the bell rings and even as the kids flood the hallways, jostling us. We stay that way even though people tell us to move out of the way.

When the hallways empty again, Brie lifts her head, wipes her eyes with the back of her hand.

"C'mon", I say. "Let's go to the gardens."

**Troy's POV: **

I go into the cafeteria and grab two sandwiches, two bags of chips, and two waters for Brie and me. Taylor grabs my arm, starling me, as she comes through the line.

"Hey, what's up? Kels said you both left History. Are you guys OK?"

I hesitate in saying, "of course", like I always do.

"I-I don't know", I say honestly. "Yesterday was pretty...tough on both of us. I don't know-"

"You don't have to explain", she says quietly. "Go to her, Troy."

And, so, I do.

**Gabriella's POV: **

I'm waiting for Troy up in our Secret Hiding Place, still crying and still wiping my eyes like the baby that I am. I lean back on the bench and sigh. I take a deep breath. I hear Troy's footsteps on the metal staircase and I am relieved and don't know why. Who else was I waiting for?

"Hey", he says, kissing me on the cheek as he sits next to me. He hands me a sandwich.

"Thanks", I say. We eat in comfortable silence. It is nice up here, warm and sunny, quiet. When we are finished with our lunch, we stay sitting, thinking.

"I love you", Troy says.

"I know. I know you do."

There's nothing left to say.

**Gabriella's POV: **

Later that day, after school, I'm in the music room. Troy's at basketball practice. I declined going to the library with Taylor and Kelsey and Sharpay, because I'm not ready to be with them and all the normal teenage chatter. It'd be even worse if they didn't do that, if they were silent and solemn for my benefit, so I guess that's why I'm here, in the music room. At the piano. I haven't played piano since the blindness came for me. I'm not sure why.

I play and play, playing all the old songs I had learned from my piano teacher in Florida-remember, that's the longest I ever stayed in one place, so that's the longest time I got to learn piano continuously-and then I break from that and just try stuff out, different melodies, movie soundtracks. I'm gravitating toward a lot of slow, sad stuff right now, and I'm sure if that's healthy or not. Frankly, I don't really care. I then play a slow, sweet, soft version of Fearless, our wedding song, and I sing along, too, my voice clear and steady, not unlike when I sang this morning. I'm so wrapped up in the playing and the singing I fail to hear Troy's footsteps step into the music room. When I'm done with the song, I take a deep breath, starve off any tears that are there, and look up.

"Breezy, that was beautiful", Troy says. He comes to sit next to me.

"It was?"

"It was."

"Well, thanks. It is our wedding song, you know."

"I know", he says, and I hear a smile in his voice. "Are you ready to go home now?"

"Yeah", I say, standing up, taking Troy's hand. "Let's go home."

**Taylor's POV: **

A few days later, the Friday of that same week, Sharpay and I invite Ella to the mall. It is in-between classes, and the hallways are crowded and noisy. We are standing in a huddle, all of us, by Troy and El's lockers. That's where we all congregate, now, because their lockers are right next to each other.

"So what'd you say, Ella?" Sharpay asks. "Want to come to the mall with us?"

She looks hesitant and Troy says, "C'mon, Breezy. It might be fun."

"It won't", she answers flatly. "It wasn't the last time, remember?" I wonder what she means. I think back to Black Friday, all those months ago. She had left, Ella had, and we never knew exactly why. Maybe we're bad friends. Troy certainly seems to gets it, with the way he's looking at Gabriella right now. Why didn't we? Why don't any of us know anything?

Now Troy and Gabriella are facing each other, staring at each other. It looks like they're communicating in their own secret, silent language.

"Fine", Ella finally replies, in a short, controlled voice.

"Yes!" Troy cheers. "You'll have fun, sweetie. Promise. I'll even go with you."

"Dude, seriously?" Chad asks. "You'd go to the mall with the girls? What'll you do there? Hold their shopping bags?" The guys around us snicker and I'm proud to call Troy my friend when he says, "Any of you would be lucky to have what I have. C'mon, Brie, let's get to class." And then they hold hands and Troy and Ella walk away from us.

**Gabriella's POV: **

And that's how I found myself going to mall with my friends that night. Under the curse of Troy's beautiful blue eyes and the voice in my head that says, "go. Go the mall. Even if it's a mistake. Go." And so, here I am. Ready for anything.

When we get there at about 5:45, it is already full of people and noise and chaos. I already regret this, and it's only been five seconds. I guess I'm not as ready as I thought. I figure Troy noticed the look of bewilderment on my face because he linked arms with me and kissed my cheek.

"This is going to be good, Breezy. You'll see."

"We'll see all right", I muttered under my breath but Troy just laughed and said, "C'mon. I see Tay and Shar over there." I extend my cane and Troy steers me in the right direction. We walk arm and arm over to our friends.

"Well, if it isn't the Bolton family!" Shar says and we smile. "Are you guys ready for this? You guys know how I am in the mall."

"Oh, yes, Shar. We know", Taylor says. "And we're ready, right, El?"

"You bet", I say and I can feel Troy smiling at me.

"There are the guys", Taylor says, and then the voices of Chad and Ted and Ryan and Zeke come into the conversation.

"I can't believe we're spending our Friday night at the mall", Chad mutters, but Taylor hears him.

"You do it because you love me", she says.

"I do", Chad says, and I imagine him kissing her on the cheek. "All right", he says. "Let's go shopping."

**Gabriella's POV: **

Troy and I continue to walk arm in arm through the mall, trailing behind the rest of our friends. Even though I've gotten the hang of walking at a normal pace and not shuffling with my feet, I'm hesitant now in the sea of people and keep having to catch myself mid-step to avoid someone else's feet, even with my cane. I feel like I'm falling, falling, flailing my arms with nothing to hang on to. I feel like shouting, _stop moving, everyone! Stop the madness_! I feel a bit sick, the way I did those first few mornings after my sight left me, reminded that I was now blind, panicked that I couldn't see anything but darkness. I would wake up, screaming. Oh, God. I think I might actually throw up. My legs are all wobbly.

"I-I think I need to sit down", I say weakly.

"Ok, Brie, OK", Troy says and he leads me over to a vacant bench and we sit there for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry", I say, near tears for the umpteenth time this week. "I-I feel a little panicked, I guess."

"Like on those mornings when you remembered?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, Breezy", Troy says softly, kissing the top of my head.

"I'm sorry!" I exclaim again. "This should be easy! This is supposed to be a fun night out with my friends and look what happened! Look where we are! God!" I cry a little then, to my very embarrassment, right in the middle of the mall.

"Hey, hey", Troy says softly. "Brie, you're doing just fine."

"I'm not! You had to force me to come tonight! I didn't even want to! What does that say about me?"

I really do hate myself sometimes, you know that? And now, again, this is one of those times. What the heck is wrong with me? Seriously? How did Troy ever want me? Why do I feel like this? And why now, for goodness sake? I should be getting better, not backtracking. Not going backwards into crazy-girl mode, with all the crying and carrying on and remembering! When will all of that go away? Will it ever? Is this what the rest of my life will look like?

I shake my head to rid my mind of that thought and Troy says, "honey, it's going to be OK."

"It's not", I say. "It's dark! It's too dark! It's always dark!"

"Shh", Troy soothes, pulling me closer to him, covering my head with his hand. "Brie."

"I don't know what's wrong with me." I say then, looking up at him, tears still trailing down my cheeks. "Maybe it's the Neo-Natal Unit. Maybe we shouldn't have gone. That messed me up. I'd like to think I was doing fine before then."

"Because you were. Because you are", Troy says softly. "You are perfect."

I actually laugh; the idea seems that ridiculous.

"I'm not", I say. And then: "I was doing fine before! I was getting along OK before. And then the blindness came and took that all away from me. Why?"

"I don't know, sweetheart", Troy says softly now. "I don't know why."

We sit there for a few minutes more. And then Troy says, "I'm sorry, Gabriella. I'm sorry tonight wasn't good. I told you it would be and wasn't."

"Isn't", I say quietly. "We still have a lot of hours left of today, Troy, you know."

I hear Troy's smile come back into his voice as he says, "You, Gabriella Bolton, are the most amazing person I've ever met in my life, you know that?"

"I'm getting there", I say grimly.

"Its been a tough year", he says.

"The toughest year of our lives", I agree. "But it's also been one of the best. Is that ironic or what? This is the year we met, fell in love. The year we went 'Round the World. The year we got married. We can't just ignore all of that, can we?"

"No", Troy says. "I don't see why we should have to. It's been a tough year, but the greatest one, too."

"I just wish things could've turned out better for us."

"How so? We're still married, we're still in love."

"OK, then, I guess I'm a horrible, selfish person, in saying that I really wish things could've turned out different for _me_, in not going blind."

"Brie, believe me, you're the least selfish and horrible person I know."

"It sure doesn't feel like it. I've been pretty awful to you, Troy."

"Sweetheart, seriously. You can't beat yourself up about that. I was hurt, yeah, but I knew you had a good reason for acting the way you did."

"Well, still, I'm sorry."

"I know.I know you are. And in saying that, Breezy, I think you're entitled to be a little shaky with who you are right now. I love you, blindness or not."

"I know", I say softly. "I've always known that. I just wish so badly that I could...that this didn't...that I wasn't-"

"I know", Troy says now, and we both hold each other. "I know, Brie. I know."

And we both stay sitting, holding each other, right in the middle of the bustling, busy mall, holding each other, and crying.

"I just wish I was better", I say softly. "For real, I mean."

"I know, sweetie", Troy says. "I know. You will be."

"Promise? It doesn't seem very likely with the way I'm acting right now."

"I promise, Gabriella", Troy says, facing me, taking both of my hands in his. "I promise. You'll be better."

I believed him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, all you lovely readers! **

**Thanks for the awesome reviews for chapter 4. I loved how you all said, "I love how Troy is so sweet to Brie", and that surprised me for some reason. I guess I hadn't thought of him as particularly sweet in that chapter, but I guess that's because I find him particularly sweet in every chapter! **

**Anyway, thanks for the wonderful reviews, guys. Ever since I posted chapter four this morning, all I wanted to do all day was write more! But maybe that's because I've been reading Troyella FanFics all day, getting all inspired, and trying not to think about all the scary stuff that's due right before Fall Break. For those in college or university, doesn't it feel like mid-terms just sneak up on you? I know they did for me last year. **

**Thanks for sticking with Troy and Brie. Chapter four was quite different than I originally planned. When Brie got all nervous at the mall, the words just tumbled from there. Thanks for sticking with her, and all her emotional-ness lately. I know she's been kind of up and down, and I want her to be better, but I'm really glad she and Troy talked all that out and that you guys got to see what those first few mornings were like for her, when she'd awake, screaming, panicked by all the darkness. **

**Here's chapter five for you all and I don't own HSM or any songs or brands used in this chapter. **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 5

**Gabriella's POV: **

After that night at the mall when Troy and I cried together on a bench instead of spending time with our friends like normal people, we went home. Yep, we did. We said good-bye to Tay and Shar and Chad and Ted and everyone and got take-out from California Pizza Kitchen and spent a quiet, cozy night in the apartment, laughing and talking and watching movies. It was fun and although I felt like we had been rude to our friends, there was no place I would've rather been than in the apartment with my husband.

The next morning, Taylor called at about 10 AM.

"Hey", she said. "Where'd you guys go last night?"

"Home", I replied simply. "We got California Pizza Kitchen and spent the night just hanging out in the apartment."

"For real? In all the time that I've known you, I've never seen Gabriella Bolton turn down a shopping trip."

"Things are different now", I say quietly. "You said they were, remember?"

"Yeah, I guess I did", Taylor says softly. There's silence and then Taylor says, "Well, I was just calling to say that we're all going to the park today and I was wondering if you guys wanted to come."

"Sure, I don't think we've got any plans today. Let me ask Troy and we'll probably meet you guys there. Which park and what time?"

"Liberty Park, around one o'clock."

"Sounds great", I say. "We'll see you guys there."

"Awesome", Taylor says. "Bye, El."

"Bye, Tay." And then we both hang up. "Troy!" I yell in the direction of the kitchen where he's making coffee for the two of us.

"Breezy!" He yells back, coming near me and handing me a steaming cup of coffee.

"Oh, stop it" I say teasingly. We both laugh. "Tay just called. They're all going to the park today and she invited us."

"Sounds fun", Troy replies. "Do we have any plans today?"

"I don't think so. I'd say we're free."

"Great", he says, kissing me on the cheek. "Then I'm going to head out for a run."

"I'll shower while you do that. That way, the bathroom will be free when you get back."

"Don't worry about it, Brie. Take your time. I'll see you in about an hour, all right? I'll have my phone on me, so call if you need anything."

"I won't", I say, looking up at him. "Need anything, I mean."

"I know. I'm just letting you know."

"I know. Thanks for that. But seriously, don't worry about me."

"I'll try not to", he says.

"Troy!" I exclaim. "I'm serious! I know I was a mess last night, but I'm fine, I swear-"

"You don't have to lie to yourself like that, Brie,"

"Are you saying I'm lying? Are you saying I'm still all messed up?"

"No, of course not. Honey, I just want you to be OK."

"This is early-morning banter, Troy. It's supposed to be cute. Not all serious."

"Gabriella", Troy said, in his low, rumbly, warning voice.

"Troy", I challenged. I sighed. "Seriously, I'm fine. Go on your run."

Troy sighed then, too, and said, "OK, I'll be back in a little while. I love you."

"I love you too", I said, and I meant it. He kissed me quickly and then went outside, closing the door behind him.

**Troy's POV: **

Running through the neighborhood near our apartment, my thoughts are all stuck on Brie. And the way she was with me this morning, all snappish and not-wanting-to-talk-about-it, and I'm-fine and all that. I'm not saying she's lying necessarily, I just have a feeling that today is one of those days where Brie wants to shrug off the blind part of herself, the part of herself that's stuck on that, that can't let go of the wanting and aching, to be the girl she was before. The girl who was OK. But, that's not who she is anymore and it would break my heart to see her not wanting to be the girl she is now. Because the person she's become, blindness or not, is who she is now. And who she is now is not the girl she was before, whether she likes it or not. Sometimes, honestly, I just want to grab her by the shoulders and shake her, say to her, "Why don't you see how amazing you are? Why can't you see the wonderful person you've become? What a wonderful wife you've been to me? Why would you ever want to ignore all of that?" But the bigger part of me knows never to do that. She's trying so hard, Brie is, and it breaks my heart to have her think that's not enough.

I guess in a lot of ways I wish she didn't have to try so hard at all. But, you know, that makes me the biggest hypocrite in the world for wanting her to accept herself the way I do. It's complicated. It shouldn't be, but it is. We're only sixteen! We're juniors in high school! This should not be our reality, but it is, and I've got to take my own advice, the advice I've given to Brie countless times, that we've got to accept all of this somehow, learn how to deal with it and move on. That's the only way I know how to work with this, with the way our life is right now. We'd go crazy if we stay stuck here, wanting. I think sometimes that we already have.

I think then of this time last year, when we were first getting to know each, falling in love. I think of how awesome that was. How I wanted to hold on to all those moments for as long as possible. How, even as it was happening, happening right in front me, no less, I felt like time was slipping from me, from me and Brie, from us together; pretty much from the moment we met, the thought of being away from her for too long freaked me out. As much as I've been told I'm so sweet to her, such a rock of support and love and all of that, she's that for me just as much if not more. There's so much pressure to be the Golden Boy, especially in the Montez family, where those kids deserve the best and often haven't received it. If I had my way, I'd just take care of Brie all the time. It's like breathing. I do that anyway, technically, but when it's just the two of us, together, the stillness I feel inside me is like nothing else. All that pressure disappears and what remains is pure joy and comfort. Being with Brie is the easiest thing in the world.

Except, of course, when we're fighting and then it's the most awful thing in the world. Like, right now for instance. I don't know what to expect when I get back to the apartment, but I know I can't keep running forever. And, really, the exercise has helped clear my head. I shouldn't have said what I said. Or, at least, not in the way I said it. I didn't mean to accuse her of anything, but I guess that's what I did.

I pull my earbuds from my ears, stand still on the sidewalk to watch an elderly couple across the street from me. They're walking together, arm in arm, the way Brie and I often do now. They're talking quietly together and seeing them, there, in such an intimate way, it makes my heart hurt. I hope Brie and I are like that someday. I still have hope that we will be. I know Brie does, too, deep down somewhere inside herself.

I turn around and head home.

**Gabriella's POV: **

When Troy returns to the apartment, I am in the living room, reading a text for school on my MacBook.

"Hey, Pretty Girl", he says, dropping a kiss on the top of my head.

"Hi", I say. "The bathroom's free."

"OK." He gets himself a glass of water, drinks it. "Look, Breezy-

"Troy-"

"I'm sorry", he says then. "I shouldn't have-I didn't mean-"

"No, you did mean it. And it's OK that you did. It's OK that you worry. The argument was mostly my fault anyway-

"Brie", Troy says in his warning voice.

"Troy", I say back. "It's true. You're thinking it, I know you are. You're just too nice of a guy to say so. Trust me. I know it was. And I'm sorry for that, for all of my whining and complaining. I've got to accept this blindness sometime, right? I can't ignore it forever."

"No, honey, you can't."

"OK, then. From this moment on, Gabriella Bolton is going to try to be OK with this", I declared.

"Good", Troy says. "I'm glad. But don't do this just because you think you have to. Don't say this just because you feel like you should."

"No, I really, officially want this. It took a good year, and however many months it's been since that horrible day when it happened-"

"Nine", Troy says quietly.

"Nine", I say. "And that's already too much time spent moping around."

"Brie", Troy says again.

"Troy, I'm serious. I'm tired of not being OK with this. For you to have to reassure me all the time. I'm tired of not feeling like a whole person. Maybe I'll feel that way again if I start to accept the blindness."

"Yeah", Troy says. "I know you will."

"Troy?" I say now. "I'm sorry. Again. I really am. I shouldn't snapped at you the way I did."

"It's OK that you did. I needed it. I sometimes feel like I worry about you too much. In a kind of parental way. I don't mean to do that. I don't mean to smother you, make you feel like less than you are."

"You don't. You're just caring and sweet and wonderful, as you should be. And it's kind of your job, you know, as my husband, to worry about me."

"Thanks, Brie", he says. "That means a lot, coming from you."

"Troy?" I say again. "Thanks for being in this with me."

I can hear a smile in his voice as he says, "There isn't anywhere I'd rather be."

"Really?"

"Really."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. Breezy, forgive me if I'm wrong, but didn't you just promise yourself two seconds ago to be OK with this?"

"You're right! I did!" I exclaim. "And that, Troy Bolton, is why I love you", I say. "You always know how to bring me back."

And with that, he kisses me on the cheek, goes into the bedroom, and our fight is over. Just like magic.

When he emerges from the bedroom 15 minutes later, he's wearing, or so he tells me later, dark-wash jeans, a blue polo-"Which color blue?" I had asked. And he had said, "the one you liked last year, you said it matched my eyes."-and his clean white tennis shoes.

"And you look beautiful", he says, sitting on the couch next to me.

"Thanks", I reply.

I'm wearing a simple cream-colored day-dress with a sweetheart neckline and a full skirt, that goes to a few inches before my knees. Over that, I have on my olive green cropped military jacket and my carmel-colored leather lace-up ankle boots with the sturdy three-inch heel. Since I hadn't asked Gina to come in today, I'm wearing almost no make-up, but my face is freshly washed and feels clean. My hair is left down in curls. I feel very casual-cute.

"What're you reading?" Troy asks then.

"Some chapters of Jane Eyre. It's due Monday for English, you know."

"I know. Maybe you could summarize for me", he says teasingly.

"Nope, sorry", I say.

"But, Breezy, come on. This story's so girly."

"It's about love", I say. "You should know something about that, shouldn't you?"

"You bet I do", he says, and then he kisses me on the mouth. We break apart, laughing.

**Troy's POV: **

We get to the park a little after one. We had gone out for lunch at a local cafe and walked the rest of the way to the park, arm in arm. Brie's using her cane and is doing well with it, until we hit the grass. The end of her cane keeps getting stuck in the soft grass and has to be wedged out. In one particular instance, when she jerks it upward, it comes flying back at her, along with a clump of ground.

"Augh!" She squeals. She glares at me when she hears me laughing.

"I'm sorry!" I exclaim. "But, honey, if you could've seen your face-"

"That is so not funny!" She says, but she's smiling.

"Oh, I think it is."

"Oh, you do, do you?"

"Yes!" our friends chorus now, surprising us, and Brie and I both laugh along with them.

"I'm sorry, Brie", I say, still smiling, leading her over to our friends. "I didn't mean to laugh at you. No dirt or anything got on your dress."

"It's OK", she says. "It was pretty funny, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was", I say, and then I kiss her again.

"Awww!" our friends coo jokingly.

"Oh, shut up", Brie says in her dry, sarcastic voice, and we all laugh again. We join Tay and Shar and everyone on the big blanket they've spread out on the grass. They've brought a smattering of food: chips, sandwiches, grapes, veggies, strawberries, pasta salads, water, juice, cookies, brownies. I grab two plates for Brie and myself, with a little bit of everything on it. I then proceed to tell Brie where everything is on her plate, like her mom taught me to do a few days after she had gone blind, when I was going crazy not being able to do anything for her.

"Sandwich at one o'clock, turkey and swiss; chips at two, wavy Lays, original; cookie at five o'clock, chocolate chip; and pasta salad at six, the kind that you like, the kind we had the night we went to Lake Jenny, and veggies and fruit in the middle."

'Thanks", she says.

"Anytime, Pretty Girl."

**Troy's POV: **

After lunch, we just hang out, lounging around. We talk about random things, we joke around. We comment on the nice weather, we complain about school and homework.

At one point Brie says, "I have to go to restroom."

"Want me to walk you there?" I asked.

She shakes her head, tries to smile. "Like I told you this morning, I've got to get used to this sometime, right?"

"Right."

"OK. Now, don't go getting all 'Gabriella' on me like earlier. I can do this. I'm just walking a few feet to the bathroom."

"What did you get all 'Gabriella' about?" Taylor asks, but I ignore her. "Why?"

"We're not discussing it", I say sharply, and I stand as Brie does. "You're right, Breezy. You can do this."

And so, she picks up her cane and takes a deep breath and looks back at me as she starts to make her way across the grass.

I conclude that she made it there all right, because she's gone for a few minutes, and I can see the restrooms clearly from here and I saw with my own eyes that she got in OK. And that makes me glad. On her way back, though, she gets a little disoriented and veers off in another direction. I'm hoping she'll figure it out when she hits the pavement, but she doesn't, she walks until she hits grass again, and she stands still for a second, listening for us. When she doesn't hear anything, she looks a little freaked out.

"Troy!" She calls. Her voice is shaky and panicked. She probably feels all conspicuous and embarrassed, standing there by herself when the park is full of people.

I get up and run to her, take her hand in mine.

"I'm here, Breezy. You're all right. You just got a little off track."

"I couldn't even do it!" She cries. "A stupid trip to the bathroom and back and I couldn't even do it!"

"Shh", I soothe, holding Brie close to me in a hug, putting my hand over her head, smoothing her hair. "You'll get this. I know you will."

"When? It's taking an awfully long time."

"I know. It'll just take some time and patience, and I know you have a lot of that. Patience, I mean."

She's smiling again as she says, "I do. I just wish-"

"I know", I say. "I know what you wish. But what you've got right here, right now, that's pretty good too."

"It is", she says quietly now. "I love you, Troy."

"I love you too, Brie. I love you too."

"Do you know how many times we've said that to each other today?"

"Um, about a hundred?" I joke and we both laugh. "It's something I'll never get tired of hearing. Or saying."

"I feel the same way", Brie says, hugging me tighter.

"Ready to go back now?"

"Yeah", she says. "Let's go back to our friends."

**Gabriella's POV: **

A few hours after lunch, Troy suddenly says to me, "Brie? What does it feel like?"

"What does what feel like?"

"The blindness."

"How do you mean?"

"I mean, what's it like? How does it feel?"

"It feels awfully weird. Those first few days were terrible, as you know, as were those first few weeks when I was all sad and messed up. It sometimes feel really scary, like when I wake up sometimes and reality slams into my brain again. It's scary to not see anything. Sometimes it feel like you're falling down a long, dark well, with nothing to hold on to."

"You felt that way last night, didn't you?" Troy says so quietly I can barely hear him.

"Yeah, I did. I guess, like you said, it's going to take some time to get used to all of this, even more than the time I already gave myself. Why do you ask, anyway? Weren't you the one who put on a blindfold and walked with my cane at Mayo?" Our friends are probably staring at us, wondering what we're talking about, like I suspected they were when we mentioned last night. We never did say what was wrong and I plan to keep it that way.

"I don't know. I'm just wondering."

"Why?"

"I just am." Troy considers me; I can feel his gaze on my face, and then he says, "You know I've had a hard time these past few months, and this past year, actually, knowing what was wrong and all that time not being able to do anything about it. It's been killing me and I think maybe if I can at least understand it, I can stop feeling so guilty about it."

"That's why you went to the Neo-Natal Unit with me, wasn't it? So you could try to understand."

"Yeah, it was", he says, and then the tears come. He sees this and says, "What is it?"

"i just really _love_ you, you know that?"

"Yeah, I do", Troy says quietly and he leans over and kisses me on the mouth. When we break apart, I say, to lighten my mood, "So that makes it, what, a hundred and one times today? That we said we love each other?"

"Yeah, I guess it does", Troy says and we smile. "Mind if I use your cane, Breezy?" Troy says after a minute.

"What for?"

"You'll see. Do you have a blindfold?"

"I always have one", I say, and then I turn to Taylor and Sharpay and say, "I always have one on hand in case we go over to my parent's house and in case Sam wants to 'help' me again." We all laugh and I hand the blindfold to Troy.

I hear some shuffling of fabric and then I hear his footsteps tread away from me.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Just wait", he says, and I turn so I'm facing in his direction, even though he's far away from me. "OK", he says.

"What?"

"Listen." And then I hear it, the swish-smack of my cane. He's walking toward me, blindfolded, with my cane. Tears come to my eyes for the second time that day. "How'm I doing, Breezy?" He asks.

"You're doing great", I answer honestly. "You are perfect."

And when he makes his way back to me, he hugs me, kisses the top of my head.

"Thank you", I say.

"Let me try that, Troy", I hear Chad say. More shuffling of fabric and then the swish-smack fades away as Chad walks in the grass. "Whoa", he says, his voice serious. And our gazes all shift to him and we watch him, silently, as he navigates his way, blinded.

When he comes back to us, he takes my hand, brings me to my feet and hugs me, hard. I think he's crying. We stand there for a long time.

"I'm sorry", he says when we break away from each other.

"Don't be", I say.

When he takes off the blindfold, Taylor silently grabs it from him and does what he did. When she comes back, she sits next to me, and says, "I honestly had no idea."

"I know-"

"I talk about wanting to make change in the world someday, and I don't even-I can't even recognize when..." her voice trails off and I think the tears must've come for her, too.

I say, "Don't worry about it."

"W-what can I do? How can I-"

"Just be my best friend. That's all I need."

Sharpay and Ryan and Ted and Zeke and Kelsi all do the same thing, with the blindfold and the cane. When Sharpay comes back she says, "you're really brave, Ella, do you know that?"

"So I've been told", I say jokingly and Tay and Shar and I all laugh. They are on either side of me and they each give me a side hug. Chad and Zeke see and come join in the hug, too. So do Kelsi and Ryan and lastly, Troy. I am in the center of our hug and have never felt more loved in my life. I seriously am so lucky. I have the best friends in the world, the most wonderful family, and the greatest husband. The hug ends soon, but I know that moment, here in the park today, will last forever.

**Gabriella's POV: **

I wake with a start. I lift my head, feel around. I feel the rough denim of jeans, and maybe a leg, but I can't tell where I am.

"Troy?" I say.

"Right here, Breezy", he says, touching my hair. And then I get it: I'm in his lap. I must've been asleep.

"Where are we?"

"Tay's house. We're downstairs."

"What happened? When did we leave the park?"

"We left at about 9:00, right after the sunset. You fell asleep. I carried you back to the car and we all drove to Tay's."

"What are you watching?" I ask. The TV's on with the volume low.

"Sports Center", Troy answers.

"OK, then, going back to sleep", I say and everyone laughs. I lay there for a few minutes, Troy stroking my hair, lulling me to sleep. I snuggle back into Troy's lap and let the voices of my friends fade away as sleep drifts over me.

The last thing I hear is Troy laughing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, guys! **

**Thanks as always for the lovely reviews for chapter 5. Awesome as usual. I think I've lost some readership, but I know I still have you guys who've been there from the very first chapter of Beautiful Eyes. Thanks for sticking with me, and Troy and Brie, too. **

**I've been thinking about Troy and Brie for an abnormally large amount of time lately, even more than I usually do, and so I decided to turn all that thinking into great chapters for you guys. I want to get where I am in my head in this story, but we still have a ways to go. Can you believe their junior year is coming to a close already? It's already April for them. **

**Anyway, thanks again for reading and I hope you all enjoy chapter 6. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own HSM, Brad Paisley's beauty of a song, "This Is Country Music" or the wonderful TV show that is "Friends", or any other TV shows mentioned in this chapter. **

**Thanks again for reading, guys. You are the best readers a girl could ask for! **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 6

**Gabriella's POV: **

The next few weeks go fast and soon it's mid-April already. Lots of things happen during that time. Troy and I visit my parents one Sunday afternoon and have the loveliest time. The basketball season ends with the Wildcats in the playoffs; they win the state championship, and it is wonderful. We celebrated wildly all weekend with our friends-if by wildly you mean with a party in our backyard with no alcohol and no one but our close friends. Troy freaked out when he found me crying in the living room one afternoon listening to "This Is Country Music." Troy shares with me some of his cooking skills. We do homework together in the living room with the TV on low, laughing and talking. We watch the wedding DVD, we both cry, even Troy, and he _never_ gets choked up. We grill out for the first time and have supper outside one warm night with our friends.

Do you know what Troy and I were doing this time last year? Freaking out over the impending blindness? Yep, you guessed it. Thank Goodness that's over. At least the impending blindness part, anyway. Troy and I are still freaking out, I guess, but in a different way. I don't necessarily feel happy that it's taken over a year for me to start to be OK with this, but I guess that's what happened.

But enough about me. I feel like I've just gone on and on about this stupid blindness thing lately and I am way sick of it. Finally.

I'm moving on.

**Troy's POV: **

The next few weeks are nice for Brie and me. One Saturday afternoon in mid-April, we have our friends over to the apartment. Well, actually, it's more like they have us, because they invite themselves. And for the most part that's OK. I can see why they like it here so much: Brie and I are the only two of us with our own space. And it turns out, this particular Saturday was especially low-key. It was storming and raining outside, so everyone piled into the apartment for a day of movies and doing nothing.

But, before all our friends arrive, Brie and I have a nice morning to ourselves. We wake up at about eight. The first thing she does, after kissing me good-morning, is turn on her iPod. If this blindness has done anything good for her, it's reawakened her obsession with music. I guess it's the only thing she can hold on, be totally sure of, besides me, of course. On this particular morning, she plays, "Manhattan From The Sky", by Kate Voegele-I only know this by what her pink iHome tells me-and she sings along as she makes coffee in the kitchen. I join her. She flicks on all the lights even though she can't see anymore. It's something she did all the time when she was sighted and I wonder why she continues to do it now.

When I ask her, she says, "I don't know. Habit, I guess. I like knowing they're on, I like feeling the warmth of them on my face."

And I leave it at that.

After we drink a cup of coffee, sitting on the couch together, we decide the talk a walk. We put on sweats and tennis shoes, lock the door to the apartment and head out. We walk along the neighborhood and I am reminded of when Brie and I first did this, all those months back in early September when she had first gone blind, how brave I thought she was. She still is.

When we arrive back at the apartment, we shower and dress for the day. Brie wears a simple knee-length dress and I wear jeans and a polo. We make breakfast in the kitchen-pancakes, just like we had in Cabin Six-and ate breakfast. It was good. At about 11, we get a call from Taylor, who got a call from Sharpay, and they decided to have everyone come over to the apartment. Brie shrugs at me when I ask her if it's OK, and I take that as a yes and so they all decide to come. They all troop through the door at about noon, bringing DVD's and food with them.

We all pile in the living room, talking and laughing. The food's in the kitchen. I pull Brie in my ams and we sit in the big arm chair together.

"What should we watch first?" Taylor asks.

"Friends!" Brie yells, making me laugh.

"One Tree Hill!" Kelsi says shyly.

"The Office!"

"Big Bang Theory!"

"House!"

"Sports Center!" Chad shouts.

"NCIS!"

"Glee!"

"Full House!" Brie again.

Brie joins Taylor down on the floor to look through all the choices.

"Oh! The one with Ben Stiler!" Brie suddenly yells out.

"From season three?" Taylor asks. "Rachel's date who yells at everything?"

"Yeah, can we watch that?"

"They're your DVD's, this is your apartment, I'd say it's OK", Taylor says and we laugh.

"Well, all right then", Brie says and we all laugh again.

"Hey, can we watch the Quiz Show episode, too?" Shar asks.

"And the one where Phoebe finds out that her mom ended the movies before they got sad?"

"Oh! And the one with all the wedding dresses?"

"And the one with all the Thanksgivings?"

"And Chandler's boat?"

"And the one with all the candy?"

And so, in the end, the girls just start watching Friends episodes. I have to admit, they're funny, but the best part is seeing Brie get a kick out of it the way she does, covering her eyes with her hands when she laughs.

All the Friends brings us to early evening and all we've done all day is lain around and eaten food and talked and watched.

At one point, when we're switching from Friends to The Office, Brie goes into the kitchen to get herself something to drink. And all of the sudden, I hear the sound of glass exploding all over the floor. We all become silent.

"Brie?" I call, not wanting to rush in there and save her all the time, not wanting to treat her like a little girl.

"Troy?" I hear glass shifting.

"Are you hurt?"

"I-I don't know", she says and it's then that I go into the kitchen. When I step into the room, there is indeed glass everywhere. It's in Brie's hair, on her clothes. She is on her knees, ducking her head, as if to shield herself, underneath the cupboard that is open, the cupboard that holds the glasses, one of which she was trying to grab. Nothing bad happened, though. We'll just sweep it up and everything will be fine again.

"What happened, Breezy?", I ask softly, so I don't startle her.

"I reached up to get a glass from the cupboard and it-it slipped and broke. I-I was afraid it was going to hit me and I don't know if it did. I felt some pain somewhere and I think I feel blood..." She reaches up to gingerly touch her hair, the top of her head. She starts to stand up, but I stop her.

"Stay where you are", I say quietly. "Nothing bad happened. There's just some glass on your clothes. We'll see if you cut yourself after we get the glass off, OK?"

"OK", she says, and she looks small there, sitting on the floor.

"Here, let me grab the wastebasket and we'll get all the glass off your clothes, OK? Take off your sweater." She reaches for her cardigan, feels a shard of glass and stops herself. I peel the sweater away from her body gently and shake it out, glass falling into the garbage, shining and shimmering against the sun that now is beginning to stream through the windows after the storms today.

"OK, here's your sweater back, Brie. Now let's get it out of your hair so you can stand up, all right?"

"OK", she says again.

I then proceed to carefully and gently comb through her hair, getting all the shards of glass out. Touching Brie like this feels awfully intimate, maybe it shouldn't, but it does. I do see she's got a cut and I do feel blood. I'll have to clean that up after we've got the glass taken care of.

"There's a cut", I say, "It's small but deep. There's a lot of blood. Let's get the glass off your dress and then we'll clean it, all right?"

"OK", she says again and I lean down to look at her and her face is all scrunched up, red, and she looks as though she might cry.

"OK, you can stand up, now, Breezy", I say and she does, and we sweep all the glass from her dress into the trash. After that, I lead her over to the sink to wash out the cut.

"Lean your head back, Breezy", I say once I've guided her over to the sink, and she does and I gently lap warm water on the cut on her head, getting it clean. When I'm done, I kiss her forehead and say, "Let me get you a Band-Aid."

"They're in the cabinet in the hall closet", Brie says.

"Got it", I say, and I return a few seconds later with a Band-Aid. I put it carefully on the cut and kiss her hair. "There you go. You're all better, Pretty Girl."

At that, a few tears leak from Brie's eyes.

"I'm not, Troy! I'm not any better! Why, every time, _every time_, does something like this have to happen?"

"What do you mean, every time?"

"I mean, every time I do something, I break something, or spill something, or hurt myself. I'm a walking disaster! I'm a stupid, clumsy person."

"You, Gabriella, are not stupid or clumsy, or a disaster. You're-

"Blind? Yeah, I know. I hate it", she mutters.

"Hey, now-

"Troy, I know I said I'd be better, but things like this glass breaking are making it really hard for me to believe I will be."

"You will be."

"You keep _saying _that. When will you learn it's not true?"

"Never. You'll get this, Brie. I'll help you."

"I wish you didn't have to."

"I wish that too, but I love taking care of you. That's all it is."

"It's not. It's you cleaning up after my blind-girl messes."

"What are you talking about? Give me an example of one of these so-called 'blind-girl messes', Brie, because I honestly can't think of one."

"Um, the Curling Iron Incident? Remember that?"

"God, Gabriella, will you get over that, please? That was my fault and you know it."

"I was the one using the curling iron, Troy. That makes it my fault, OK?"

"Not OK. It was my fault", I say again. "I scared you. I was behind you, bringing you coffee last Wednesday morning, and you were all happy, humming a song and didn't notice me-

"Yeah, you'd think with my so-called heightened senses, I'd have picked up on that. What kind of blind-girl does that make me, huh?"

"-and you burned your hand."

"And it throbbed and blistered all day and people kept asking me about it."

"Do you know how awful I feel about that? Do you? Because it really doesn't sound like you're taking my feelings into account, here."

At that, Brie gets quiet and a few more tears trail down her cheek.

"I'm sorry", she says, tears thick in her throat. "I'm sorry. I keep taking you for granted."

"You don't."

"Yeah, I pretty much do. You said so yourself. And you're right, I do. I have been ever since August, when this blindness came and took everything from me. And I so shouldn't. Take you for granted, I mean. You've been everything for me through this horrible blindness. And I love you so much for that, more than you could ever know. I just wish I'd hurry up and get over it."

"You will. You are."

"I know. I know it'll take some time. It's just hard to believe when things like this keep happening", Brie says, gesturing to her cut.

"Anyone could've broken that glass, Brie."

"I know. I'm just feeling sorry for myself. It's horribly selfish of me. I don't know how you've been able to stand to be around me."

"I'm around you because I love you, because I want to make you happy."

"You do. You make me so happy."

"Good. I was hoping that you would say that."

At that, a small smile made it's way onto Brie's face. "Brie", I say then, fearing that what I say next will make that smile disappear. "Why haven't you talked to Chloe?"

"_What?_"

"Why haven't you talked to her?"

"Who are you, my father?"

"Don't start that again, Gabriella", I say, in my warning voice, all low in my throat. "Just tell me the truth." She looks down for a few seconds, then looks back up at me.

"I haven't talked to Chloe because I'm ashamed. I'm ashamed that I-that I ended up like her."

"Like her? How?"

"I got all...depressed." Brie says the word so quietly I barely hear her.

"Oh, Breezy", I say.

"So there you go", she says. "You know everything now." A few more tears make their way down her cheeks. We are quiet for a few seconds, then Brie's anger flares up again. "Why do I have to talk to her, anyway? Do I have to talk to her?"

"I think it'd be a good idea", I say quietly. "She'd probably know-

"What I'm going through? She wouldn't, Troy. No one does."

"Gabriella, come on. You've got to let people in."

"I let you in, didn't I? And our friends?"

"Yeah, but-

"You do know that was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, right? Letting you in?"

"I know", I say defensively. I never said any of this was going to be easy. I just said it was a good idea. "I'm glad you did, though. I hated being all cut off from you."

"I know. I know you did. And even though I knew that, I was the most selfish, stubborn person ever and still didn't let you know anything. What is _wrong_ with me?"

"God, Gabriella, I really wish you'd quit saying that! Nothing's wrong with you! Nothing!" I look to Brie's face now. "Just like nothing's wrong with Chloe."

"What does Chloe have to do with any of this?"

"She's blind, too", I say quietly.

"Oh, right", Brie says. "Well-

"And there's nothing _wrong_ about that. Just talk to her."

"No."

"C'mon, Brie."

"No, Troy. I'm not going to-

"Gabriella, come on! You keep talking about wanting to be normal again-

"Yeah, like that's ever going to happen-

"-and, you're right, that won't ever happen-

"So you admit it."

"-unless you talk to Chloe. Unless you start learning how to be 'normal' as a blind person. That's the only way you're going to get past this."

"Troy, we tried that already, with Terri Rightman, remember? Didn't go so well, did it?"

"Stop snapping at me! I'm trying to help you, here! And, no, you're right, things went horribly with Terri Rightman, but Chloe isn't Terri Rightman, Brie."

"Yeah, well."

"It's the only way, Breezy."

"It isn't, Troy. We could back in time and have the blindness not come and-

"That's not a real option and you know it. If you want to face this blindness for real, you've got to stop pretending. You've got to stop wishing it will just go away. It won't. I wish it would, but it won't. You've got to stop living in the past. You're blind now, Gabriella, and that's perfectly OK. Just...I want you to deal with it. So you can learn how to cope and be happy again."

"I want that, too", Brie says. She's crying again. I hug her, kiss her softly on the mouth. "I want that too."

We stand there together, embracing, for a few minutes. Brie's tears stop and she looks up at me and she finally says in a soft voice, "you're right, Troy. You've been right all along. I do need to get over this-

"I didn't mean it in an insensitive way-

"Oh, I know you didn't. I just...it's true, what you said. I'm so tired of going in circles. I want to feel like a whole person again, like I told you that Saturday we went to the park. I want to be your Brie again."

"You already are-

"I know I haven't been all that I could be for you, Troy", Brie says. "And I just want to be that for you. For us to be as happy as we used to be."

"What matters to me is if you're happy, Brie."

"I know. And I love you so much for that. But I want to be happy with who I am too."

"I want that, too." I feel like cheering inside.

"And so...I think...that starts with Chloe."

"You really think so?"

"Yep. You said it yourself, it's the only way I'm going to get past this. I've got to let her in, let her know what's going on."

"But you want to, right? You genuinely want to?"

"Yeah, I do. I do want to."

"OK, then."

"OK, then", Brie says back and she smiles.

"You're officially talking to Chloe."

"I'm officially talking to Chloe", Brie repeats and I hug her.

'Yes!" I hear Chad shout from the living room. Brie and I both laugh.

"They're still out there? They heard everything?"

"Yeah, I guess they did", I say.

"They waited to start The Office until we finished fighting?"

"Yep, they did."

"They didn't have to do that. They didn't have to wait for us,"

"Oh, Breezy", I say, laughing, and I hug her again. "You are awesome, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know", she says and I kiss her.

"Hey, you guys coming or what? Zeke yells. "Or are you going to stay in the kitchen and make out?"

"Hey!" Brie yells in protest. "We were not making out!"

"Oh, you weren't?"

"No, we weren't", Brie says, blushing.

"Well, then, what are you waiting for? Get back in here!" Sharpay yells. Brie and I look at each other.

"Well, should we?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind making out a bit more", Brie says teasingly and our friends hoot and holler and laugh.

"C'mon. Gabs, quit making out with your husband and come join us", Taylor says.

"Oh, OK", Brie says jokingly and I follow her back into the living room. We hold hands and cuddle on the couch and we start The Office. When I hear Brie's laugh, the best sound in the world, if you ask me, I know, somehow, she's finally, _finally_ on her way to being better.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, guys! **

**Thanks as always for your lovely reviews. They were awesome. I myself thoroughly enjoyed chapter six, a lot more than I did when I started it. The Troy and Brie conversations just tumble onto the page, I don't even know where it comes from! Well, it comes from my brain, obviously, but I'm not in love, so I don't know where I get this stuff, but whatever. I'd love to have a love like Troy and Brie do. That's why I'm writing this story. I love giving awareness to blindness and disabilities, and I love the feedback from you guys about that, seriously, but I love the love story element too. **

**So, on this cold Friday afternoon with all required homework completed and everything else done, too, I am back to update. I hope you guys like this chapter. I'm quite excited about it. We haven't seen Chloe or Jerome in a while, and after Brie talked to her last time, her whole outlook changed for the better. **

**Anyway, I'll stop rambling and let you read. I don't own HSM, the character of Quinn Fabray, Anthropologie or any other songs or brands mentioned in this chapter. Thanks for reading, everyone! Here's chapter seven for you all. I hope you like it! **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 7

**Gabriella's POV: **

It's wonderfully warm now in Albuquerque, perfect spring weather. I note this as I'm standing on Chloe's front step, nervously waiting for her to answer the door. Troy's not with me today; I told him he didn't need to come, and I made him go play basketball with Chad and Ted and Zeke at East High, as if he needed much convincing. He'll pick me up when he's done and we'll head home together later.

Chloe answers the door now. I know it's her by the sound of her voice.

"Hi, Gabriella", she says.

"Hey, Chloe."

"Want to come in?"

"Yeah."

I smooth my skirt. It's a burnt red-orange color and is a full, A-line, floral-print knee-length one from Anthropologie, the Wallflower Skirt. With it I wear a plum purple tank top with a sweetheart neckline, and over that I wear a burnt red-orange cardigan, the same color as the skirt. For shoes, it's my brown and white Rag and Bone lace-up oxford wedges worn with cream ankle socks, and my hair and make-up are standard. I feel very Quinn Fabray today.

I step inside, with my cane, of course, and navigate to the kitchen, following Chloe. I am trying to remember what her and Jerome's place looked like when I saw it last spring but am having trouble. That's probably because I'm too preoccupied thinking about how Chloe's going to feel when I tell her I haven't seen her in over a year because I am ashamed of her, of myself, too. What's she going to think of me?

"So, how have you been?" Chloe asks, like we are old friends and not just best friends with her nephew and people who haven't seen her in a year thanks to my stupid stubbornness.

"Um good", I say. And then, "I mean, well. Gosh, you'd think as someone who loves English class, I'd learn proper grammar!" And we both laugh at that. I am glad for a break in the tension I imagine is all around us.

"Beautiful weather outside today, isn't it?" Chloe asks.

"H-How do you know what the weather is like?" I ask, and then immediately regret it. I didn't mean to be insulting.

"The same reason you do. Jerome and I watched the news last night and I heard the forecast. Plus, my MacBook told me that when I opened Yahoo this morning", she replies. I feel her looking at me and I am immediately uncomfortable. "We are not _less_, Gabriella", she says then.

"I-I didn't mean-

"You did. And it's OK. You can go on pretending we're not as good or capable as normal people all you want, but blind people _are_ able, whether you know it now or not."

"I-I-

"Now, would you like something to drink?"

"Sure", I say, because my throat is already parched from nerves.

"I'll get us both some sparkling lemonade, if that's OK." I nod. She turns away from me. I know this because when she talks next her voice is further away, muffled by the distance. "And don't marvel at how I can grab a glass from the cupboard. Don't be all amazed that I can pour and not spill."

"I-I broke a glass last week", I offer, to give some explanation, as if that would make things OK, even though I know it won't. "Glass was everywhere. I cut myself."

"And that made you mad, didn't it?" Chloe asks as she hands a glass to me. Condensation wets my hands.

"Yeah, it did. Frustrated, too."

"And how about ashamed or embarrassed? Did you feel like that, too?"

"Is that wrong?" I shout at her, unable to control my anger. "Why can't I feel what I feel-

"Because you'll never get past this stage and learn to cope", Chloe says. "This blindness doesn't define you, Gabriella."

"But it does! It completely does!"

"It doesn't have to."

"How can it not? It changed my entire life! How can that not be OK?"

"Because if you stay here, where you are now, in this "Oh, woe is me" place, you'll never-

"Never what? Never be happy again? God, between you and Troy and my mother I feel like I keep getting lectured at to do something other than what I'm doing."

"Gabriella", Chloe says quietly, making me glance up at her now.

"Yeah." I'm going to cry; I'm going to be a pathetic, stupid, little girl and cry again.

"It's OK. That you're blind now. Stop fighting it. Embrace it. Learn from it."

"I know", I mumble.

"You know what?"

"I know that I'm blind now, I know that I've got to get over it and start accepting it. It's taken me almost a year since it happened in August for me to reach this point, but I have. Isn't that enough?"

"No", Chloe says. "No, it's not."

"Why?"

"Why? Gabriella, it's amazing that you've made it this far, that you've reached this conclusion, believe me, but you're still stuck in that place-

"The horrible, awful, forbidden, "Woe is me", place?" I snap.

Chloe takes my rudeness in stride and fires back, "Blindness is not who you are. It will become all you are if you don't do anything about it."

"What is _that_ supposed to mean? Weren't you the one who just said to stop fighting it?"

"Yes, but I meant stop fighting the blindness, stop being in denial. It's not going to go away, no matter how much you want it to."

"I know that", I mutter.

"Gabriella, what did you think today was going to be like? Did you think you'd come over here and we'd have a crying-fest over how blind we both are?"

"No", I say defensively. "Of course not."

"Good. Because if you want a "Woe is me in blindness" buddy, I won't be that for you."

"I know", I say again. I'm really going to cry. The tears are in my throat, in my eyes, everywhere.

Chloe must've picked up on my distress because she says very quietly after a minute, "I'm sorry, Gabriella. I didn't mean to yell at you."

"Yeah, you did", I say, sighing, trying to fight off the tears that are threatening to fall. "Troy did, too. Last week after the glass broke, we had a huge fight. He told me the same things you're telling me and I was awful to him. Snapping at him the way I am with you."

"I'm not saying to push away this new person you've become through your blindness", Chloe says then. "I'm telling you to be that person. You're only what, seventeen?"

"Sixteen", I say.

"Sixteen, then", Chloe replies. "I won't let you throw away the life you could be living because of this blindness."

"Um, I already kind of did that", I say quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"I was...I got...I...I was...depressed for a little while", I finally say.

"Oh, Gabriella", Chloe says quietly now, and one lone tear trails down my cheek.

"So there, now you know", I say, and then words come out in a rush. "That's why I haven't seen you. That's why I'm being so rude to you. That's why I'm so ashamed and that's why I feel like the littlest speck of dirt in the world around you."

"Oh, Gabriella", Chloe says again. She comes over, hugs me and then more tears leak from my eyes.

"Hey, what happened to not being in the "Woe is me" place?" I say after a few moments, to regain control of my emotions.

"This is an exception", Chloe says, hugging me tighter.

"I'm sorry!" I say desperately. "I'm sorry I've been so awful. I'm sorry I'm not OK right now. I'm sorry I haven't seen you."

"It's OK", Chloe says and we break from the hug now. "Really, it is. If anyone understands, I do. I know how awful you're feeling right now. I know how you want someone to blame for this terrible misfortune. I know how incapable you feel." I nod. I do feel like that. "But I also know how much of a burden you feel to Troy and your family." I nod again. I feel that way, too, whether or not I wish to admit it.

"Yeah."

"To make that go away, to make you feel like more of the person you used to be, all that takes is some re-learning."

"How do you mean?" I ask carefully.

"I mean, re-learning different ways to do the things you used to do."

"Oh."

"Don't worry", Chloe says. "The core of your life is still there, Gabriella. The love you have for Troy and for your family, who you are, that's all still there."

"I hope so", I say, tears forming again in my eyes.

"It is". Chloe says. "Trust me."

"But what about everything else, then? Is that all re-learnable stuff?"

"It could be", Chloe says. "What kind of stuff do you mean?"

"What kind of stuff do _you_ mean? Like cooking and studying and cleaning and doing my make-up?"

"Possibly", Chloe says.

"Why such a vague answer?" I can't help asking.

"Because all this re-learning starts with a change in attitude", she says. "You have to want this, Gabriella."

"I do", I say, finally. "I do now."

"Good", Chloe says. "I'm so glad." She turns away from me again. I hear cupboards opening and closing. She sets something on the granite countertop and says, "listen."

I cock my head and listen hard to hear the sound of an electronic voice counting out measurements.

"What is that?"

"It's a talking measuring cup", Chloe says. She must know the look on my face because she quickly responds, "Yes, they do actually make stuff like that."

"Wow, I-I didn't know", I say.

"And, look at this", Chloe says, grabbing my arm and leading me to the stove. It's not on, and she leads my hand up to the controls. I feel with my fingers braille labels, which indicate which control is which and all that.

"That's so cool", I breathe.

"Isn't it?" Chloe agrees. "You could do that, you know. Make those labels. Just make them on your brailler, cut them out, laminate and tape them on."

"Troy could even do that", I say. "He loves using my Brailler."

"Really? That's so cute."

"It is. Sometimes he writes me notes in Braille. They're like our own secret language because no one else can read them. My friends are majorly jealous."

"That really is awesome, Gabriella."

"Thanks." She considers me, I feel her gaze on my face.

"Hey, Gabriella?"

"Yeah."

"You're going to be OK. You know that, right?"

"I'm starting to see it", I reply simply.

"Good", Chloe says. "Because-

At that moment, I hear the door open.

"Hey, Breezy", Troy yells as he walks through the living room to the kitchen.

"Hi", I say. He comes to me, kisses me lightly on the mouth.

"Have you guys had a nice time?" Troy asks. I know he must see that my eyes are a bit puffy and red from the crying but doesn't acknowledge it.

"Yeah", I say. "A very nice time."

15 minutes later, Jerome comes home, too, and we all chat for a while. When a lull in the conversation forms, Chloe asks, "Troy? Gabriella? You guys want to stay for dinner?"

"Sure", I say, glancing at Troy. "That would be lovely."

"What're we having?" Troy asks jokingly.

"Homemade pizza", Chloe answers.

Troy turns to me and says, "All right, we're staying for dinner, Breezy." And everyone laughs.

"All right then", Chloe says, laughing a little.

"Want some help with dinner, Chlo?" Jerome asks.

"No, thanks. This meal is going to be prepared by Gabriella and me." Chloe turns to me and says, "we can try out some more of those measuring tools."

"Sounds great", I say honestly.

"So you boys, shoo", Chloe says. "Go play basketball or something,"

"We just spent the last hour playing basketball, Chloe", Jerome says. "Or, Troy did, anyway."

"Well, go watch some basketball, then. Just stay out of the kitchen until we're ready for you."

"OK, whatever you say", Jerome says and we all laugh again.

Jerome and Troy head to the living room, leaving Chloe and me alone in the kitchen.

"Well, should we get started?" Chloe asks.

"Yeah", I say. "Let's get started."

**Troy's POV: **

I sit on the couch and converse with Jerome about basketball, but really I am thinking about how Brie is doing in the kitchen with Chloe making pizza. I hear lots of talking and laughing going on, so I'm assuming things are OK. I guess it's the guy in me that wants to march in there and do everything myself, take care of her like I always do, but I know that, now, this dinner, tonight, is a defining moment for Brie and I hope in amounts to something great.

I know in another hour and a half, I have my answer. The food smells delicious and Brie and Chloe look pleased. We sit down, say Grace, and then dig in. The pizza is delicious.

"How did you guys make this?" I ask.

"We used my grandma's recipe", Chloe says. "And we used lots of talking tools, and Braille labels. I told El how you can make them and stick them on the stove to know which controls are which."

"Cool idea", I say, and look to Brie to find her nodding along, thinking it's a cool idea, too. I am amazed. That must've taken a lot of convincing on Chloe's part and I wonder what she said to Brie to make her change her mind. I know she says she wants this, to be more like the person she used to be and cope with her blindness at the same time, but this actually makes me believe it. Don't get me wrong, I never doubted her, but seeing her sit across the table from me, smiling, makes me think she's finally on the right road to accepting who she is, for real.

**Troy's POV: **

Ten days later, we are sitting down to dinner again. This time it's in our own apartment, this time Brie cooked this meal pretty much all by herself, and this time she made enough for the two of us, and our friends.

"Troy!" Brie exclaims. "They're here!"

"I know", I say. "I was waiting until you were ready. Are you?"

"Just let me put my other earring in", Brie says, and she gently shoves the earring back through the hole in her ear, puts the back on it, and makes sure it's in place. She then checks her outfit: a tan lace dress that goes straight down to her knees; over the dress she wears a simple white swing jacket and for shoes it's her carmel-colored flat ankle boots by Prada in leather. Her hair and make-up is simple. This is the same thing she wore to school today, so I don't know why she's making such a big deal about it. She looks fine. She always does.

"OK", she says. "Ready. You let everyone in, I'm going to double-check something in the kitchen."

I let our friends in, and first to step through the door is Tay and Chad.

"We brought sparkling juice", Taylor says, handing the bottle to me.

"Awesome. Thanks, Tay."

"Now, where is that wife of yours?"

'In the kitchen", I reply and Taylor heads straight back there.

"Hey, man", I say to Chad.

"Hey, Troy. So this dinner was inspired by Chloe?"

"Yep. We went to see her a few days ago and Brie learned some stuff from her about cooking."

"Will this be good?"

"Does that matter?"

"No. Just wondering."

"OK. In that case, the food's great. Brie really is a good cook."

"That's great, Troy."

"Yeah, it is."

The rest of our friends filter in shortly after Taylor and Chad arrive and by seven thirty everyone is in the apartment, seated at our table, waiting to be served.

"OK, you guys,'" Brie calls. "Are you ready to eat?"

"Yes!" We say, laughing and enthusiastic.

"All right. Tonight we're having chicken parmesan-" Brie comes through the kitchen into the living room carefully carrying the platter, which she gently sets down in the middle of the table. "-with a romaine salad and baby red baked potatoes."

"Yay", Sharpay says. "This looks great, El."

"Wait until you taste it", Brie says and everyone laughs.

When everyone is served-I help Brie with this part, gladly-she turns to me and says, "And now we say Grace. You can do it tonight, Troy."

"OK."

I bow my head and my friends bow theirs and we thank God for this food, for Brie starting to accept her blindness, for wonderful friends and family, and then we dig in. the food's delicious, just as Brie said it would be and I think everyone is impressed. There are exclamations of:

"This is the best meal ever, El."

"This chicken is delish."

"These potatoes are so good."

"This salad is excellent."

And all the while, Brie sits and says thanks, basking in the praise and support from her friends.

"Thanks, you guys", she says towards the end of the meal. "Thanks for being in this with me, accepting me for this new Gabriella I'm trying to be through managing my blindness. Thanks for thinking I could do this."

"We knew you could, Ella", Chad says.

"Yeah, El. We have faith in you. You're doing the best job", Sharpay says.

"It's hard to move on from something like this, El", Taylor says. "The hardest thing you'll ever do, I imagine, and you're doing it so graciously. I couldn't do it."

"You could", Brie says. "I'd help." Everyone laughs at that. "And besides, I'm not in this alone. I have Troy and my family and you guys. Thanks for being my friends."

"Anytime, El", Chad says, and then we all get up from our chairs and form a hug around Brie, where we are laughing and crying in one happy heap.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, lovely readers! **

**Thanks as always for the wonderful reviews for chapter seven. I really enjoyed them, specifically Miss Romance-Lover's-glad to see she's back and reading and still loving this story. Her support means so much! Also, I enjoyed punmkinking5's review, too, and the "Yea!" at the end. I felt like cheering for Brie, too, after chapter seven. I was so happy for her that she's finally trying, finally out of her depression, finally seeing the girl she is with her blindness and knowing that that's OK. She's finally on her way! **

**And with that, here's chapter eight for you all. Enjoy! **

**Oh, and disclaimer again: I don't own HSM or Boy Meets World or any brands or songs mentioned in this chapter. **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 8

**Troy's POV: **

As the school-year draws to a close, I am reminded again of Brie, of last year, of how scary this all was. And now, how sweet this time has been for Brie and me. How awesome it's been to see her come into her own these last few months, slowly but surely. I always knew she could do it. She just had to convince herself of it. And now that she has, I don't know of anything to stop her from being who she is.

And for that I love her more than life.

**Gabriella's POV: **

So, OK. I'm fine now. I guess I always, but now I'm officially fine and OK and better. I'm not sure yet what this means but I know it means something important.

I'm saying this because everyone has noticed that I'm all smiley again and OK again and everything else. And I guess I'm glad for that. Because, I mean, who wouldn't be? The darkness has lifted from my heart now and I finally, finally see that there's sunshine out there, whether I can see it now or not. It taken me long enough, hasn't it? I deserve this, don't I?

Yes, yes I do. I deserve to be happy. And realizing that has changed everything.

**Troy's POV: **

Brie and I are in the apartment on a regular Wednesday in late April. We are in the living room doing homework after school. Basketball is over, so we drive home from school in the Audi, usually, but today we walked there and back, per Brie's request, because of the beautiful weather, she said. And who am I to deny her of that? Besides, it was kind of fun. We talked and talked, walking arm in arm in the cool morning air and we talked and talked, walking arm in arm, in the warm spring air, too. And now we're on the couch, studying for the last history test of the year before the final next month. Brie is laughing. She is doing this because of my inability to do a proper imitation of our history teacher, Mr. Fletcher, while he is lecturing, getting all passionate and riled up.

"Troy, stop!" Brie says, laughing still. She falls back against the couch and I kiss her. "Mm, don't stop", she whispers now, kissing me back. "I love you", she says.

"I love you, too."

I get off the couch then, and Brie does, too, following me into the kitchen.

"What's for dinner, Mrs. Bolton?" I ask playfully.

"Hey, now", Brie says, laughing. "Just because I'm the girl doesn't mean I'm the cook."

"OK, OK. What should we do?"

We stand there, thinking, before we glance at one another and say in unison, "take-out?" That makes us laugh. We then proceed to order from a nearby sushi place. When the food comes, we carry the feast back to the living room for TV and studying.

"You know what?" Brie says, slipping some sushi into her mouth.

"What?"

"I'm, like, deliriously happy right now. Is that weird?"

"It's not weird. It's great."

"I thought you'd think so", she says, smiling.

"You know me so well."

"I do." We kiss; it is beautiful, if I do say so myself.

I'm happy, too.

**Gabriella's POV: **

Troy and I walk into school the next morning, holding hands. We get stopped in the hallway countless times, with people wanting to talk to Troy and me. We only get a couple minutes at our lockers before we have to dash to homeroom. Or, I at least think we have to dash. Troy couldn't care less if we were ten minutes late, or missed homeroom all together.

"C'mon", I say "We can make out and everyone will get all uncomfortable and annoyed."

"I like that idea", Troy says, pulling me close to him, kissing my hair.

"I thought you might. Now, come on. We're going to be late." And I lead him through the door of Ms. Darbus' classroom. We sit in seats next to each other in the back of the classroom.

"People! People!" Ms. Darbus is nearly shouting, she's so shrill, trying to get our attention. No one's listening. Troy's saying something to Chad, Chad's saying something to me, Tay and Shar are trying to say something, but can't talk over the three of us.

'Hey", Taylor finally says. "I know you guys are, like, technically, family and all of that because of Chloe and brotherhood and whatever, but we as your two best friends are feeling very ignored over here."

"Yeah!" Sharpay says in response to this

"Sorry, you guys", I say sheepishly. "We-" I can't say anything more because Troy's busy kissing me. I kiss him back and I feel our friends looking at us with a mixture of amusement and disgust.

"Will you guys quit making out please?" Sharpay snaps teasingly.

"Yeah, seriously, dude", Chad says to Troy, laughing. "You guys are way too in love."

"No one can be too in love" I say.

"When you make out as much as you two do, you can be", Chad replies, making us all laugh.

"Hey, now", I say. "If Troy and I didn't make out all the time how would you know us as the mushy, too-in-love, married couple?"

"We already know you as that."

"How?"

"By your wedding rings", Chad says, as if it's really that simple. I fiddle with my wedding ring, twirling it around on my finger, a habit I developed when I started wearing my engagement ring all those months ago.

"Oh, well-

"_Mrs. Bolton_!" Ms. Darbus demands so sternly it makes me literally jump in my seat.

"See?" Chad says, snickering, and I swat his arm.

"Not fair. You made me get yelled at."

"Yeah, man, not fair", Troy says, wrapping his arms around me, making me laugh again.

Mrs. Darbus goes on about announcements, but we fail to hear her. We are in the back of the classroom, laughing, invincible, in the moment, complete. It is young, free feeling. I want to capture it and cling to it.

**Troy's POV: **

Brie and I walk home from school again that afternoon.

"Why did you look like that in homeroom today?"

"Look like what?" Brie asks, amused.

"So...young. Wistful."

"Nice vocabulary, Bolton", Brie says.

'I learned from the best", I reply, thinking back to the day early in the school-year last year where Brie tutored me for my up-coming English test. "So why'd that look cross your face?"

"Why are you wondering?" Brie fires back.

"Just because. You haven't ever looked like that before."

"That's because I've never been this happy", Brie says then, serious. "Even at other places, like in Florida or LA or wherever, any happiness I felt was only half-hearted, not the real, true, good happiness I feel now. So, that's why I looked like that. I wanted to capture that moment and hold onto it."

"Oh", I say.

"And, just in case you're wondering, you've been the cause of pretty much all my happiness in Albuquerque, Troy."

"Way to bring on the pressure, Brie", I say and she laughs, covers her eyes with her hands.

"I didn't mean it like that!" We are silent for a few moments, thinking, walking, before Brie says quietly, "I'm so joyous right now, my heart feels too full. It's like...it's like...I never in a million years thought I'd get this chance, be this person I am." To my surprise, tears are literally welling in her eyes. "I never thought it was possible."

"Thought what was possible?" I ask quietly.

"That I'd be this glad, this happy, this content. I never thought I'd have someone like you to love me."

"I'll always love you", I say.

"I know. And that is what's so unbelievable. That you'll always love me. And that I'll always love you. I never thought I'd have that."

"What did you think would happen?"

"I've always been a hopeless romantic, but it hadn't happened anywhere else I lived so...but I did say to you that I was grateful for the going and the moving and the new places and I was and I am. Even before we got here, I knew, somehow, that Albuquerque would be it."

"Really."

"Yeah. And when I first heard you talk to me, ask me if I wanted a ride home, I knew you were someone awesome."

"And that's how I knew you were different, Breezy", I say then. "I knew you were because you didn't jump all over me, going on and on about basketball or clothes or whatever. You were genuine, and funny and cute. You still are all those things."

"Well, thanks. I'm glad to know that."

"And you know, technically, I wrote to you. Remember?"

"Of course I remember. I still have the note you gave me on your way to the pencil sharpener."

"You do?"

"It's somewhere at my parent's house, in my room. Doesn't it feel weird to say that? To say that we're married, with an apartment, with bills to pay, groceries to buy?" Brie is quiet a moment, considering. "So much changed in a year and a half. So much happened."

"Would you take any of it back?"

"Not one second", she says.

**Gabriella's POV: **

On Friday, Troy and I spend a cozy night in the apartment. We make dinner together, eat late, don't do homework. We dance in the living room to Coldplay.

"I love you", I murmur into Troy's chest as Chris Martin sings about science.

"I love you, too, Brie", Troy murmurs back and I feel his voice low in his chest. My arms wrap around him, I kiss him.

"You're my best friend."

"And you're mine." Troy kisses me on the mouth. We sink into it, both of us, wrapped up in each other, in kissing, in dancing. When we break apart, I look up to Troy, touch his face softly.

"I'll alway love you, you know that?"

"Yeah, Brie", Troy says. "I know that."

**Gabriella's POV: **

About a week later, next Thursday, we pick Sam up from school. Usually, Mom or Dad or even Sarah or Jack picks him up, or he walks home with the other kids-Cole, Leah, Kate, Live-but today none of that worked out, and so Troy and I picked Sam up instead. It worked out OK for us because Troy could still get in a workout and I could still get in some tutoring with Jason for his Spanish class after school before it was time to get Sam.

We pull up to EastWood Elementary School at 3:45. Sam knew he was getting picked up by me and Troy today via a note from Mom in his bag lunch, and apparently, he is way excited. That's OK. I'm excited, too.

"Do you see him, Troy?" I ask at 3:50.

"Not yet, Breezy", Troy answers. I imagine him scanning the area, watching for my brother. We sit quietly for a few minutes, listening to the other kids' laughter, the squeak of the swing-set, the roaring of the bus engines. All of the sudden, Troy says, "There he is, Brie. Hey, Sam!" Troy yells and I hear footsteps coming closer to the Audi.

"Sam! Hi!" I say, getting out of the car and pulling him into a big hug.

"Hey, Ella", he says when we pull back. I imagine he's smiling.

"Hop in, Sam", Troy says.

"OK", Sam says, and Troy opens the door for him, gets him situated.

"How're you doing, buddy?" Troy asks once he gets behind the wheel again, as he starts to pull away from the school.

"Good!" Sam pipes up from the backseat. "I'm good."

"How was school today?" I ask. "Learn anything fun?"

Sam thinks for a minute. Then he says, "We read that book we read those weekends ago."

"The Funny Book? When Troy and I came over and you and I read stories?"

"Yeah", Sam says, I imagine him nodding his little-boy head in the backseat. "I told my teacher, Mrs. Johnson that you and me read it already. And she says, 'well, your sister must know good books.' And I said that you did."

"Well, thanks, Sam", I say, laughing.

"I told her that you and Troy were getting me today. She said that she knew you, that you and her talked about books some more."

"That's right. I'm going to tutor a little girl next fall who's just started reading Braille."

"You are?" Troy asks. "You never mentioned it."

"I didn't know if it would work out or not. I didn't want to get excited over nothing. I just found out this morning."

"That's not nothing, Brie. That's great. What's her name? What grade's she in?"

"Her name is Emma Catherine Evanston."

"Like you!" Sam crows from the backseat. "Matching middle names!"

"Yeah", I agree, turning around in my seat to look at him. "How cool is that?"

"Way cool", Sam says. I smile.

"She's in second grade right now, so she'll be a third-grader by next fall."

"Like me! Like I will be!" Sam yells.

"Yep, she'll be in your grade, Sam. Is that cool or what?"

"That's so good", Sam says.

"I think so, too." Troy then pulls up to my parent's house.

"Here we are, Sam", Troy says. "Home."

"We aren't going to your home?" Sam asks.

"Do you want to come home with us, to the apartment?"

"Yeah."

"OK, then", I say. "Let me just run in and tall Mami the plan, 'Kay?"

"'Kay", Sam and Troy answer at the same time, making us laugh. I run into the house, say hi to the kids and talk to my mother for a few minutes. I tell her the plan, she OK's it, and we're off again.

"We're good", I say, getting back into the car. "We'll bring you home after dinner, Sam. How does that sound?"

"Good!"

"All right. Let's go home."

We do. We get back to the apartment at about 4:30. I put in a Boy Meets World DVD, season one, just for some background noise. We sit around, watching episodes for something fun to do.

"That's learning?" Sam asks during the "Father Know Less" episode, one of the best in the series, with Mr. Feeny's monologue about education. "That's what learning is, Ella?"

"Yeah, Sam", I say. "That's what learning is. You know how last year, in kindergarten, you learned your numbers and letters and how to write your name?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you did that all again this year, right?"

"Right."

"You had to do the stuff you already knew how to do before you could know how to do other things, right?"

"Yeah", Sam says, and I imagine him nodding his head. "Yeah, Ella."

"That's what learning is. And when you get to third grade, you're probably going to do a little bit of second-grade stuff in the beginning."

"To help us 'member."

"Exactly. You're one smart boy, you know that?"

"Yeah", Sam says. "I know." We all laugh at that.

After a while, I make dinner for the three of us wile Troy and Sam hang out. Sam sets the table for me, Troy helps finishing cooking everything. At 6:30 we sit down to supper, say Grace, and eat. After we eat, we do the dishes quick while Sam does his homework. I help him and we read a book as a reward for finishing. At about 8:30, we bring him back to my parent's house. We hug quickly before going inside.

"Thanks, Ella", Sam says. "Thanks for Boy Meets World and reading stories with me. And supper."

"Anytime, Sam." I hug him again one last time and then he goes into the house, shuts the door behind him, and Troy and I go home.

**Troy's POV: **

As I watch Brie hug Sam before letting him inside her parent's house, I am again reminded of how caring she is, how maternal and sensitive she is. I love her for those things, for how she is. I'm so glad she's my Brie, the girl who is going to teach another little girl Braille when months ago she turned her nose up at the very idea of learning it herself. A lot has changed in a year and a half, she had said earlier last week and she was right, just not in the way I mean. A lot's changed and she doesn't even know it yet. This is just the beginning of our happiness and it is a nice feeling knowing it will last.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, readers! **

**Thanks for the amazing reviews for chapter 8! I especially loved hopelessromanticgurl's, because it captured so well what I wanted that chapter to be like. I felt like cheering after I read her review. I'm glad Troy and Brie are happy, too! I quite enjoyed chapter 8 myself. I liked that it was bits and pieces, fragments of their life, rather than long conversations like they'd been having the past few chapters. I'm glad you guys like it too. **

**As always, disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical nor do I own Taylor Swift songs or any other TV shows, restaurants, or clothing brands that I mention in this chapter. **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 9

**Taylor's POV: **

"We got the Fellowship and Leadership grant! We get to go to the F and L conference!" were the first words out of my best friend's mouth when I got to school on a Wednesday morning in April.

"That's great, El", I said. "Really great. That's such a honor."

"Isn't it?" Gabriella replied, all bubbly and excited. "We didn't even remember applying. And then when Principal Masters came up to us this morning, I remembered that I totally forgot! We applied last winter, before everything happened."

She's standing next to Troy, holding his hand, and for half a second I hate her for that. For being the smilingest, the luckiest, the most perfect girl in the world, standing there in a white lace dress with a skinny black belt at her waist, short black cardigan with scalloped trim on the 3/4 length sleeves, and black strappy wedge shoes, all shining eyes and white teeth, a black flower headband in her long, curly hair. And then I get a grip, realize that this is my best friend and her husband we're talking about, that I want them to be happy. That after all the horrible things that have happened for them, they deserve the happiness they've gotten these last few weeks. That they deserve this. Even if I thought that I did, too.

"It's in Chicago", Gabriella says, continuing to talk at me. "How cool is that? I've never been there."

"Oh, you haven't?" Troy asks in an exaggerated voice. "Imagine that, Gabriella Bolton having not been to Chicago. You'd think she would've been, wouldn't you? Especially since she's lived practically everywhere on the planet, and especially since we went 'Round the World last summer."

"Oh, shut up", Gabriella says playfully to Troy. "I have not lived 'everywhere'. I told you that already. And, we didn't technically go 'Round the World, you know. Only to America and to Europe and to Figi. That's not even like, half of the world, Troy."

"Oh, really, Gabriella."

"Yes, really, Troy. Now, come on, we're going to be late for homeroom. And after that stint to Starbucks yesterday, we cannot be late again."

"OK, OK", Troy says all reluctantly. He turns around, bringing Gabriella with him, his arm still around her shoulders. He leans down, kisses the top of her head. She relaxes against him, reminding me again how totally in synch those two are. They are the most in love, the most connected, the most married, the most perfect couple in the universe. They begin to walk away from me and my locker, when Gabriella suddenly remembers me, turns around.

"Coming, Tay?"

"Yeah, I'll be a second", I say, trying to keep my voice level. "I'm just-gonna talk to Chad for a second."

"OK. Don't be late like my husband over here."

"I won't be", I say and then I run down the hallway to Chad so I don't have to face them.

**Chad's POV: **

When I see Taylor headed my way on a Wednesday morning in April, I know immediately that she's done something wrong.

"What did you do?" I ask her as she hugs me.

"I wasn't happy for Troy and Gabriella. I was jealous. Am jealous", she says, correcting herself.

"That they got the F and L grant and conference thing?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Troy told me. It sounds pretty cool. Chicago and all that."

"I should go! It should be me, too!" Taylor burst out.

"Taylor Mckessie's jealous", I say smugly, folding my arms across my chest, leaning against my locker, smiling at her.

"Yes", she mutters. "I am jealous." She looks up at me. "Am I the worst person in the world or what?"

"Of course you're not the worst person in the world. Tay. You're one of the best. You're human, too, though, and I know why you'd get jealous."

"I was up for that grant, too. I have just as many extracurriculars as they do, maybe even more." I stay quiet, waiting for Tay to make her own conclusion. "They're just so _happy_!"

"Yeah, so? Don't you want them to be happy? They're our best friends, you know."

"I know. And that's why I feel so rotten even saying these things. I should be happy for them. But I'm not. And I'm the worst best friend in the world for being this way, all petty and selfish and uncaring, ignoring the happiness of the people close to me."

I take Tay's hand, lead her down the hall to Ms. Darbus' classroom. We're going to be late for homeroom. I tell her this and she scoffs at me.

"Why don't we go to Starbucks instead? Come back in time for English class with mocha frappeccinos?" She snaps.

"Hey", I say so quietly that she turns and looks at me.

'What?" I think she really is going to cry.

"They are not better than us. We're OK, too."

"But they are! Look what happened to them and look how fine they are now! Look how bright and happy and content they are!"

"What, you'd like to have a horrible tragedy occur in order for us to be closer as a couple, in order for us to be brighter and happier?"

"No", Taylor says sharply. "Of course not."

"Then what, Taylor? What do you want?"

"I don't know", she mutters. "I just want us to be...better. Happier."

"And what are we now, Taylor? Aren't we all of that, too, already?"

"I'd like us to be", she says quietly. "Why do I feel like we aren't?"

"I don't know", I say. "And honestly, it's pretty low of you to think that about us-"

"I'm sorry." Taylor says this so quietly that I have to lean down to hear her.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Does that make everything better? I did say a lot of terrible things in the last two minutes, you know."

"And I always forgive you for them. And that's why we work, Taylor Mckessie. That's why we're in love."

"You think?" She's smiling now.

"I know", I say, pressing a kiss to her mouth.

"OK", she says when we break apart, a smile lighting up her face. She shakes her head, as if to rid herself of the things she's just said. "I'll be happy for El and Troy."

"That's my girl", I say. "You'll get your chance to shine, too, Tay."

"Let's hope so", she says, and then I lead her into the classroom.

**Troy's POV:**

In history that same morning, Brie plunks herself down in the desk next to mine, folds up her cane and stuffs it in her Vera Bradley bag with a heavy sigh.

"Anything wrong?" I ask.

"Just some girls in my FACS class thinking I'm incapable of making a simple batch of chocolate chip cookies", Brie says sarcastically.

"What happened?" I ask carefully.

"They didn't want me in their group! They told the teacher that I-that I-" Brie is so upset that she is shaking, literally, can't finish her sentence. I put an arm around her and that makes the tears well up in her eyes. "They asked the teacher for _someone else_. They didn't think I could do it." She wipes her eyes roughly. "God. If I thought the little girl tripping over my cane was bad, this was ten times worse. I know that was an accident, this, though, today, was totally and completely on purpose."

"Brie", I say, pulling her close to me. A few tears roll down her cheeks. I let her calm down for a few minutes before I say, "show them."

"Show who what?"

"Show those girls that you can do it."

"And how am I ever going to do that?"

"Bake again. Have a contest sort of thing. Meet after school. Show them, make them see for sure that you can in fact do this. Because I know you can."

"And I know I can."

"Good. So you'll do it?"

"Yep", she says. "You've convinced me. I'll talk to Ms. D after school and see if it's OK."

"Atta girl, Brie", I say, and then class starts and we can't say anymore.

**Gabriella's POV: **

It was OK, by the way. The Bake-Off contest-thing, I mean. I talked to Ms. D at lunch-she's our FACS teacher; her name is Ms. Dexter, but for some reason, everyone calls her just '"Ms. D"-and she thought it was a good idea, too. She's arranged to have the girls and myself meet in the FACS room after school.

And, so, that's where we are right now. In the FACS room. I feel the girls-Ashley and Brittany are their names-looking at me wearily, still thinking I'm all incapable and whatnot. But I'm not really caring about that or sharing that same opinion because I've got my talking tools in front of me and I know that I'm ready. Really, I am! I made chocolate chip cookies last Sunday for Troy and he said he loved them. I knew he wasn't lying. If you can't be sure of yourself in your husband's eyes, what _can_ you be sure of?

"All right, ladies", Ms. D says, coming into the classroom, breaking up the tension in the room. "Ready to bake?"

"Oh, yeah", I say, smiling. "So ready."

"OK. I've got the ingredients in front of you. The recipe is on the board-" Ashley and Brittany snicker.

"And how's that going to work for her?"

"-and for you, Gabriella, I've made a Braille copy."

"Thanks", I say, taking it from Ms. D, smirking at the girls.

"OK", Ms. D says, "You girls are all set. I'll be observing, just for safety precautions, but as far as I'm concerned, we're ready to bake."

And then we go to it. I follow the recipe exactly, mixing the flour and the sugar and the eggs and the vanilla and the chocolate chips. I put the dough in dollops on the cookie sheet and put them in the oven, all in record time. They come out twelve minutes later probably looking beautiful; they smell wonderful, all sweet and good. I test to make sure they're done, and they are. I guess cooking with Chloe, and then cooking again at home for Troy, actually paid off. Who knew it'd be more useful than for that of a simple confidence boost?

"Done!" I announce brightly.

As I say that, I hear footsteps come into the room. I know it's Troy when he says to Ms. D, "Are those chocolate chip cookies I smell?"

"Yep", Ms. D answers. "Made by your wife, no less." I think she's smiling.

"Hey, Breezy", Troy says now, coming over and kissing me quickly. "Are those your cookies?"

"Yep", I say. "Just putting the last ones on the cooling rack."

"They smell great."

"Thanks. Want to be my tester?"

"Anytime."

"OK, try this one." I give him the cookie, warm from the oven. Chocolate sticks to my fingers.

"Delicious", he says once he's finished the cookie, kissing me again. I laugh. "Mind if we take these for the road?" I assume now Troy's talking to Ms. D.

"Go right ahead", Ms. D says. "Nice job, Gabriella. Your cookies are perfect."

"Thanks", I say.

"Girls?" Ms D asks. "Do you have something to say to Gabriella?"

They both must've fallen under the Cute Husband curse with Troy right here and everything, because both Ashley and Brittany mutter, "Sorry, Gabriella" to me. I then thank them for their apology. I know we'll never be friends, but at least now they respect me. That's all I ever wanted, anyway.

Troy and I scoop the cookies into a bag, grab our stuff and head home. Another day, another battle conquered. All in the life of a blind girl.

We get home. Sharpay calls me, screaming into the phone about Taylor Swift's new song, "I Knew You Were Trouble." She comes over and we have a dance party right in the middle of the living room, singing at the top of our lungs. We collapse onto the couch when the song ends, laughing and happy.

Things may not be perfect, things may never be, but this, now, I'd say we're getting as close as we've ever been.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, readers! **

**Chapter nine was supposed to be one chapter, but it was getting too long, so I decided to split them up into chapter nine and chapter ten. **

**I probably won't update again until Monday, so I hope you guys are OK with that. **

**Thanks again for reading, guys! Your support means so much! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own HSM or any brands, stores or TV shows mentioned in this chapter. **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 10

**Troy's POV: **

Brie and I leave for Chicago on a Monday afternoon, after school. We'll be gone until Wednesday night, and we'll come back to school on Thursday. We bring a medium-sized suitcase to fit all our stuff, plus carry-ons. Brie brings her Chanel bag and her tote bag and I bring my iPad and phone. We get on the plane and eat and talk and laugh, watching a movie together before the plane lands. We get off, grab our suitcase, and get on the subway headed for our hotel. When we get there, we order room service and eat it on the balcony of our room, looking down at the glowing city lights. Chicago is vibrant and busy and bright.

In the morning, I say, "We should just stay here. Go out for coffee somewhere later."

"I'd love to do that, Troy", Brie says, "But we've got a welcome breakfast this morning."

'We do?"

"Yes! Didn't you read the itinerary?"

"No. I'm guessing you did?"

"You'd be right."

"Goody-goody", I say teasingly.

'You love that I'm a goody-goody", Brie replies, sitting next to me on the bed.

"You're right. I do", I say, leaning over to kiss her. "When does this welcome breakfast start?"

"Nine", she says.

"We've got an hour", I say easily. "That's good, right?"

"For you, maybe. You'll take five minutes. Without Gina here, I'm on my own. You shower first", she says. "That way, at least one of us is ready."

"Sounds good."

Ten minutes later, I'm ready for the day. I flip the TV on while I wait for Brie.

An hour later, she comes out of the bathroom, wearing a plum purple lace pencil skirt; a white ruffled top tucked into the high-waisted skirt, with a black cropped blazer and black round-toe pumps. She quickly puts on her jewelry, grabs her Chanel bag, and is ready. She's still playing with her hair as she walks towards me.

"Ready", she says.

"Awesome. You look beautiful", I say walking towards her, kissing her again.

'Thanks", she says. "Let's go."

I grab our room key and follow Brie out to the elevators. We go down to the lobby and step out into the day. It is bright and warm. Brie slips her arm around mine and together we walk the few blocks to the conference building.

"Kids from all over the country will be here, Troy", Brie says excitedly.

"Cool", I say.

"Cool? That's it? That's all you have to say? It's much more than 'cool', Troy. This is like, the..._coolest_."

"Worst comeback in the history of the world, Gabriella Bolton", I say, laughing.

"It was pretty pathetic, wasn't it? I just couldn't find the words. I mean, this is, like, the-

"The coolest?" I ask teasingly.

"Stop teasing me!" Brie wails playfully.

"Oh, OK", I say jokingly, and then I open the door to the conference building and let Brie go in before me. It's dark in here. I feel Brie grip my hand a little harder, not knowing where she is.

We walk down the hall to the elevators.

"What room is the conference held in again?"

"Room AC402", Brie answers.

"OK", I say, looking around. "It looks like we go up those stairs and to the left." I guide Brie to the steps and we go up and then to the left. I steer her into the room, but she's doing a pretty good job with her cane. We sit down, unsure, at a table in the middle of the room. The place is nearly buzzing with excitement: people, talking and mingling and eating, glasses and forks chiming, laughter.

"What do you say we grab some food, Brie?"

"That sounds great. I'm so starved."

I grab Brie's hand and together we go up to the front of the room, where they have long tables set up filled with food and covered with a thick white tablecloth, same as on the round tables we're eating at. I feel people staring at Brie and her cane and I try to ignore it. I know they don't mean anything by it; it's a lot to get used to, I guess. I hand Brie a plate and quietly tell her what's all here. She picks and chooses and so do I and we make our way back to our table. When we get there, there are some other girls and guys sitting there with us and we eat and talk with them, making good conversation as we eat. Brie is talking animatedly with a girl on her left; they talk about the conference and how exciting it all is. I smile to myself. A guy on my left asks me a question about basketball, and there I go, off rambling, just like Brie.

**Gabriella's POV: **

After the breakfast, we have a speaker come talk to us as a group about motivation, inspiration, working as a team, bettering education. After that, we break off into small groups, to work on panels for a large-group discussion we'll have after lunch. Troy and I are separated, but that's OK.

"I'll see you back in here for lunch?" I say.

"It's a deal." He kisses me quickly and then we split up. I turn to hear one of my group members say hey to me and I hey her back and she's my sighted guide for getting to the computer lab where we'll do our research. We work for a few hours in the lab, and before we know it, we've got our presentation ready to go and it's time to break for lunch. As I walk back into the conference room, I hear someone say, "Gabriella Montez! Is that you?"

I whip around, even though it's weird to hear my maiden name when lately there's been so much emphasis on my married one.

"Jayma Hayes?" I ask.

"Yep, it's me", she says, stepping closer to me. "Hey, Gab. Haven't seen you in forever!" She leans into hug me and I hug her back.

"How have you been? You're here for the conference, too, right?"

"Yep", Jayma says, and I can hear a smile in her voice, bright and bubbly. "I'm here for the conference, too. And, I've been good, actually. I'm on the Scholastic Debate team at school-

"Still in Florida, right?"

"Yea. Speaking of places, where are you guys living now? Last place you moved after you lived in Brookeville was-

"LA, I know", I say. "Yeah, after about a year and a half there, we moved to Albuquerque late summer last year, just before the start of my sophomore year."

"And you're still living there now?"

"Yeah, surprisingly. I mean, I guess it doesn't matter much where my parents live anymore, considering I'm married and emancipated and whatnot, but-

"You're married?!" Jayma shrieks, grabbing my left hand to see my wedding ring. The place quiets a little when she says that, but then everything returns to normal after a few seconds and a normal volume ensues.

"Yep", I say. "I'm married. Oh, and emancipated."

"For real?" Jayma asks. "When did all this happen? How? Who?"

I laugh. "Hey, Breezy", Troy says suddenly, nearing me. I hadn't even heard him coming! Too distracted with all the screaming, I guess.

I turn to Jayma and say, "Him. Troy. He's my husband."

**Troy's POV: **

When I hear some shrieking and someone saying in a loud, high-pitched voice, "You're married?!" I have a feeling that person's talking about Brie and me. Because, honestly, how many other married couples do you know who are our age? Not many, I'm guessing. That's why it's a fun surprise to come upon Brie and her friend in the conference room. Actually, I was planning on meeting her here for lunch, anyway, but I'd never miss a chance to freak out friends with the news of our nuptials.

"H-He's your husband?" the girl asks, stunned, looking at me with wide green eyes.

"Yeah. His name's Troy. Troy Bolton."

"Gabriella Bolton. I always thought I'd be in your wedding. But, the fact that I wasn't even in the same state and that you didn't even tell me about it would make it difficult, no?"

"I'm sorry, Jay", Brie says. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I honestly wasn't thinking. I was going through some bad stuff then, too, but I have pictures of the wedding somewhere." Brie starts to dig around in her Chanel bag.

"Like what?" the girl asks now. Jay? Joy?

"What do you mean?"

"What bad stuff were you going through?"

"Um." Brie looks down at her cane, fiddles with her wedding ring, clearly uncomfortable. "Blindness", she says finally in barely a whisper, gesturing to her cane.

"Oh, God." the girl says, covering her mouth with her hand, starting to tear up. "Gabriella."

"Don't cry. Seriously, Jay, your make-up."

"Are you crazy, Gabriella? Do you honestly think I care about my make-up at a time like this?"

"Please don't cry", Brie all but begs her friend. "I'm really OK."

The girl leans into the hug Brie and they hug and the girl cries a little. Brie is the first to pull back.

"Seriously. I can't lose it again, here at the conference, in front of everyone. I've done too much crying in the past year anyway."

"Brie", I say, my voice low in my throat.

"Troy." She considers me, then turns to her friend. "I'm an idiot. Completely forgot introductions. Jayma Hayes, meet Troy Bolton, my husband."

"Nice to meet you, Jayma", I say, shaking her hand. She wipes her eyes.

"Nice to meet you, too, Troy", she says. "Sorry for the crying."

"Don't be. It's kind of a shock."

"You're telling me", she says dryly. "Finding out your good friend from elementary school is married and blind at sixteen. It's the biggest shock ever."

"It's kind of a weird combination, isn't it?" Brie asks, thinking aloud.

"It's a sad one", Jayma says. "The blindness part, I mean. Not the marriage."

"I know. I'm getting along better with the blindness, now, though."

"How could've you ever moved on from this? When I knew you as a little girl all you wanted was to fit in."

"I know. And there's still the fifth grade girl inside me who wants that, but I can't just ignore it. Not anymore. As much as I've tried to shove my disability out of my life, it always creeps up on me."

"I'd say you do a good job", Jayma offers. I think she might cry again.

"Thanks. I'm really OK, though. Seriously, Jay", Brie says now. "These past few months I've really gotten the upper hand with this whole blindness thing." From the look on Jayma's face, I can tell she's glad to not know how Brie was doing before she had the upper hand.

"That's good. That's great, actually, G", Jayma says.

"Isn't it?"

There's an announcement now, to have lunch and then to get ready for the presentation. People start getting up out of chairs, plates and forks and spoons start clattering together, the volume in here goes up about ten notches.

"Would you like to go out to dinner with us tonight, Jay?" Brie asks, looking at me to see if it's OK. "If you have plans-

"I'll go. I'd love that. I'd love to hang out with you guys some more", Jayma says.

"Great. How about we meet in the lobby of the hotel at seven-thirty?"

"Sounds great. See you guys then", Jayma says. She hugs Brie one more time and then skirts to the long tables to get some lunch.

"Well, Breezy", I say. "Ready to eat?"

"Yeah", she says, all traces of sadness gone from her face now. "Let's go eat."

**Gabriella's POV: **

After lunch, the presentations go off with a bang. We're finished for the day at around five. Troy and I walk back to the hotel. We lounge around a bit before heading out to dinner. I change into a dark teal blue lace peplum dress with long sleeves and my same black pumps from before. I sweep my hair up into a messy bun on the back of my head as best I can, trying to leave some tendrils around my face. I re-do a bit of my make-up and I'm ready. We leave the room hand-in-hand and go down to meet Jayma.

We meet her and we walk the ways to the restaurants, Troy and I holding hands. I use my cane, and at the cross-walks, especially, I feel Jayma looking at me, concerned.

"I'm OK", I tell her when we're back on regular sidewalk. "Seriously. I've got my cane and that helps guide me. And, Troy, of course."

She doesn't say anything. Luckily, we get to the restaurant and get a table.

"I'd like a Braille menu, please", I say politely to the hostess.

"Of course, miss", she says, and darts away to get one.

When we get to the table, I say to Jayma, "I used to hate that. Troy and I didn't go out to restaurants for months after the blindness came in August. When we would go out, with friends and stuff, I'd say I wouldn't need a menu, I would just order whatever Troy had or whatever it was I usually ordered. But I knew I could do better than that. And finally, about a month and a half ago, we went to a local restaurant in Albuquerque and I finally owned up to the blindness and the Braille menu and stopped trying so hard to fight it. That helped."

"You've always been stubborn", Jayma says. Is that relief in her voice? She starts to laugh. "Remember the time you and I wanted to be in the same gym class?"

"Oh, yeah!" I say, laughing myself. I turn to Troy and say, "In fifth grade, they separated us for specialist classes, like art and music and gym. Jayma and I were so mad about this that we stomped down to the gym teacher's office and demanded that we be in the same class together."

"And did it work? Did you she let you?"

"Oh, of course not. We were silly, stupid little girls. She said she 'admired our determination.'" I'm laughing again.

"What's funny about that?" Troy asks. "You didn't get what you wanted."

"That's why it was funny. Who were we to think we could just be together in gym class because we wanted to be? We were little kids. Childhood is fleeting and beautiful."

The waitress comes then, we order, she sprints away again.

When the food comes-deep dish pizza, a Chicago tradition!-we laugh and talk and eat, trying out different kinds of pizza. When we leave the restaurant, we stop for ice cream on the way back to the hotel and take fun pictures. Troy and Jayma and I get back to the lobby at about eleven o'clock.

"This was fun", Jayma says. "Thanks for inviting me, El."

"I had fun, too, Jay. It was so awesome to see you!"

"Agreed! Maybe we can get together again before we leave on Wednesday?"

"Sounds good. I'll text you", I say, holding up my iPhone.

"Sounds great." We hug one more time, Jayma and me, and then Troy and I head back up to our room. When we get there, I get ready for bed and Troy does, too. We snuggle together and fall asleep to late-night TV.

**Gabriella's POV: **

The next day happens to be a half day of the conference. That means we get done at noon after a few hours of morning sessions. Troy and I go out to lunch at an italian bistro and then we shop on Michigan Avenue. That's where all the good stores are. Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, and Charlotte Russe are all in a row! I let out a whoop of delight when Troy tells me this and he laughs at me.

My nude-colored pee-toe heels click-clack on the sidewalk as I walk. They are the perfect finishing touch to my black skinny jeans, gray pull-over scoop-neck sweater and floral-print scarf. I'm also wearing my Mike and Chris leather jacket in dust-pewter, a kind of tan/beige-gold/metallic color. Really pretty. My hair and make-up are standard and I have on my Oliver Peoples sunglasses and carry my Chanel bag like always.

After shopping, we stop for iced coffees and then we hit up the Newberry Library and The Bean. We take pictures. We walk around in a park for a while, talking and talking about everything.

It was a wonderful day. It was a wonderful day being with my husband.

**Troy's POV: **

Today is Wednesday. That means it's the last day of the conference. I'm kind of bummed about that. I've really enjoyed Chicago. Seeing it with Brie has been fun.

"Troy?" she calls now. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, sweetie", I say. "I am. I've got our suitcase nearly packed. I just need your bathroom stuff."

"OK", she says, coming out of the bathroom. "Here you go." She kisses me.

"What's that for?"

"I realized I never bid you good-morning."

"Actually, you did,"

"Oh. Well, it couldn't hurt to say it again, right?"

"Not if you kiss me like that", I say, and she laughs.

"It's nine. We have to check out in like ten minutes. "

"We're all set", I say.

"Did you make the bed?"

"Kind of."

"I'll do it", she says, and I laugh.

"My make-shift throw-everything-on-the-bed-in-a-heap method wasn't good enough for you, huh, Breezy?"

"Nope. Sorry", she says, and we both laugh.

"You look great", I say then. She's fiddling with her skirt.

"Thanks", she says. She's wearing a dark gray dress with a flared skirt that goes a little above her knees. Over the dress she wears a white lace blazer and her carmel-colored flat boots she wore to Mayo. Her hair and her make-up are the same as always. "Let's go."

And so, we do. We have sessions in the morning, a break for lunch where we meet up with Jayma one last time with promises of summer visits and Facebook chats, and then one last session in the afternoon. We end at around 2:30. Troy and I immediately go to the airport. We grab something light to eat while we wait.

The flight home is uneventful. I think I fall asleep, because the next thing I know, Troy is gently rousing me awake.

"C'mon, Pretty Girl", he says. "We're home."

We get off the plane, grab our one suitcase and get back to the apartment at around seven in the evening. We order some take-out-again!-and snuggle on the couch, watching TV, catching up on homework, talking. We go to bed too late and sleep hard. I'm not prepared for Thursday morning, but I throw on some clothes and Gina does my hair and make-up and off we go.

We get to East High and everyone wants to know how everything went. We give a brief idea, then sprint to homeroom.

"Pretty dress, Ella", Shar says.

"Thanks", I say, looking down at the Anthropologie Sing Sweetly Party Dress, which I wear with a light-sea-blue cardigan and brown and black wedge shoes. My hair is up in a messy bun today on the back of my head, with curly tendrils framing my face.

"So it was good?" Taylor asks. "The conference?"

"Yeah", I say, turning to look at Troy. "It was good."


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, guys! **

**Thanks for the awesome reviews for chapter 10-amazing as usual. I'm glad you guys are just as happy as I am that Troy and Brie are so happy! **

**And since I have a half an hour, I thought I'd update another chapter for you guys. **

**Thanks again for reading and enjoy chapter 11! **

**Disclaimer: As stated previously, I DO NOT own High School Musical, or any brands, TV shows, or restaurants mentioned in this chapter. **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 11

**Troy's POV: **

"Brie, seriously. Come on! We're going to be late!" I am shouting at Brie through the wall. I am out in the living room. She's still in the bedroom getting ready. Ms. Darbus' homeroom bell sounds in exactly ten minutes. And after that one time I convinced Brie to be frivolous for once in her life and go to Starbucks with me, we can't be late again. And she reminds me of that every day.

"I'm almost done. Give me two minutes."

"You said that two minutes ago, Breezy. C'mon!"

"And why are you so into punctuality all of the sudden anyway? You weren't that day you decided to drag me to Starbucks."

"We, Brie", I correct. "You were there too, all happy, sipping your carmel mocha."

"It was a frappuccino, Troy. And because of our coffee-

"You got to do something fun with your husband to make a normal Wednesday morning exciting-

-we got to homeroom late and Ms. Darbus gave us the evil eye. I could feel it."

"Oh, stop being so paranoid", I say.

"Stop being so paranoid", Brie mimics sarcastically, coming out of the bedroom in a pair of light-wash distressed skinny jeans, a floaty pale yellow top and her silver flats. "You're calling my blindness 'paranoid' now, Troy? Because it you are that is extremely-"

I kiss her roughly on the mouth then to stop her talking and she looks up at me and smiles.

"I'm still mad at you. We're going to be so late."

"And whose fault is that?"

"Mine", she admits, looking down at her shoes and we both laugh.

"Come on", I say again, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. "Let's go."

**Troy's POV: **

When we get to school that day, something is off. There is a smell in the air, an odor hanging over the hallways like a rain cloud. I had heard from my father that lately the school had begun to smell like some kind of oil, as though there was some leaking of a chemical somewhere, but no one was able to check it out until next week. And now with a more stifling odor around, I suddenly felt out-of-nowhere fear.

"Brie?" I ask as we rush into homeroom that same morning. "Do you notice something...wrong?"

"Yeah", she says quietly, nodding. "Something's off. Something in the air, maybe? A smell, a gas, a chemical or some sort? I'm not sure what it is. Do you know?"

I shake my head. "No", I say.

"Do you think we should tell Principal Masters?"

"No", I say agin. "I'm sure he knows. My father knows. There's got to be someone doing something about it."

Because, frankly, I did not want to think about what would happen if someone wasn't doing anything about it.

"Come on. Let's just go to class."

**Gabriella's POV: **

It is in history later that morning that I remember I left my notebook in the auditorium from this morning's choir rehearsal. I tell Troy this and he sighs and says, "let's go get it."

"I can go myself. I just was telling you-

"No, I'll come. With the school all weird the way it is, I don't know..."

"You can come", I say, and he smiles, I think. We tell Mr. Fletcher that we've got something to take care of. He doesn't question us, let's us leave. We get out in the hallway again where everything is silent and still, except for the occasional door opening or closing, or laughter coming from a classroom.

"You know", Troy says now. "We really shouldn't be doing this."

"What? Skipping class for two minutes to run and get my notebook from the auditorium? Such strange words coming from you, Mr. Starbucks."

"Hey, now", Troy says, laughing a little. "I never meant for us to be late. That lady in front of us took too long ordering her scone. And would you get off this Starbucks thing, Brie? It was supposed to be something fun."

"Oh, it was. The best Wednesday morning I've had in a long time. I just like to tease you about it. Isn't that what a wife's supposed to do? Make her husband all crazy?"

"To an extent", Troy replies and we kiss by the lockers. "Now let's go", he says, and we do.

When we get to the auditorium, Troy starts in after me.

"Relax", I tell him. "I'm fine. You can wait out here. I'll be two minutes."

He lets me go in. I slip into the auditorium, flick on the lights even though I don't have to. I count the rows of seats to find my notebook. I get up to the second row where Troy and I were this morning, go into the row and find my notebook, stuck between the seats. I wedge it out triumphantly, turn to go back to Troy, and then all of the sudden, I feel the lights flick off and I hear sirens and screaming: chaos erupts. I don't know what to do. I hide. I wait.

**Troy's POV: **

I'm outside the auditorium, waiting for Brie, when all of the sudden smoke starts billowing from somewhere, coming everywhere. The fire alarms starts to wail and I feel that fear again. _Where are you, Brie? _I think. Kids start to pour from the classrooms, streaming through the hallways, yelling and screaming. Some are crying. All are running. Their feet make the floor vibrate under me. I try to see if I recognize anyone. Taylor, or Chad, maybe. But I don't. Everything's a blur. My ears are ringing, literally, but I don't care about that. All of the sudden, I see Taylor's face in the crowd, coming towards me full speed. She runs to me, crying, shaking.

"I-I can't find Chad!" She says, her voice cracking. "H-he was right behind me, in the library and-and-"

"We'll find him", I say, hugging her quickly and we run outside. It'd be hard to find anyone specific with everyone everywhere, but I try. The sooner I find Chad, the sooner I can go back for Brie. After about a half an hour, I'm really starting to panic. It is only when I climb the one tree on campus that I see Chad running toward Taylor, finally. They embrace, crying, caught up in one another. I hope they don't see me depart, but Chad does.

He says, "Where are you going? What are-"

"Brie", I say and I sprint inside.

The smoke is now gray and black, filling every pore of the school, making it nearly impossible to breathe. I choke on air, it seems, every five seconds, but I fight my way to where I know the auditorium should be. Where Brie should be. I feel for the door, just about get it open, just about to yell for Brie, when I'm suddenly pulled up, yanked up and drug out of the building. When I can see again, when the smoke clears from my eyes, I realize it is a fireman who's taken me back outside.

"No! You don't understand!" I shout at him. "My wife's inside!"

"He scoffs at me. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious", I say, flatly, my voice starting to shake, from anger, from fear. "Do I have to show you my marriage license or something?"

The fireman laughs. "Yeah, that'd probably be a good idea", he says, and turns to his fireman buddies to watch East High burn to the ground.

I'm shaking, I'm so angry, ready to punch that guy's lights out. I try to get back into East High, which no luck. Everything's closed up, everything's crumbling. I'm near major panic mode when I suddenly see my father. My father!

"Dad" I shout. "Dad!"

"Troy!" He runs to me, hugs me quickly. "You OK? Where's G?"

"Still inside!" I shout at him, hoping he'll be the one to grasp the severity of the situation. "I left her in the auditorium. I shouldn't have-she said she would be fine, two minutes-"

"No use getting upset about it now. Let's go in and get her."

"I tried! I already tried that! They kicked me out, and I couldn't get back in."

"You said she's in the auditorium?"

"That's where I left her, yeah", I say. My heart hurts. I should've never left her in there! She said she would be fine, I know that, and I know that she would be, but Oh, God, if anything happens to her, I'll-

"We'll have to go in front the back and work our way to the front of the school", my father says now, serious. "We can sneak past the police. Come on. We'd better hurry."

I think then back to a few days ago. Brie had been listening to Taylor Swift's new single, State of Grace. One of the lines had mentioned that "love was the worthwhile fight." Well, I guess she was right, that Taylor Swift. Because I'm going back inside East High, the school that is crumbling and breaking all around us, to save her, to save Brie. I would never think to do otherwise. She is my heart, my life. Love is the most essential thing in the world.

**Troy's POV: **

My father was right, we had to sneak past the police and we barely managed that. Once we got ourselves in East High again, I head straight for the auditorium, my father behind me. The smoke clings to us, to our clothes, the inside of our throats, stinging our eyes. We try to get low to the ground to avoid it, but it creeps up on us always. And so we press on.

"This way!" My father yells to me. With the school literally falling down around us, we have to shout to be heard above the rumbling and crumbling. He grabs me, steers me down the hallway toward the auditorium. "Look out!" He suddenly cries out and shoves me out of the way of a falling beam.

"Let's keep going", I say. "We have to find her!"

We are practically crawling on the ground now, sneaking away from the smoke any way that we can. Things keep falling over and crumbling to pieces in front of our eyes and it is awful. And we can't stop it. That is the worst thing.

We finally reach the door to auditorium, having outrun every other part of the school that was falling down. The fire is literally chasing us. We don't have a lot of time. My heart is beating so hard I think it might give out. _Briebriebrie_ thumps through my head. I wrench the door open. It burns my hand almost immediately, but I don't care. The door flies back and I lift my arms up to shield myself. It hits me and I can feel the burn and pain spread through me. I fly backwards, ending up on the ground. I feel like I got the wind knocked out of me. I stand up.

"Brie", I murmur, and I walk through the door.

**Troy's POV: **

Inside the auditorium, it is dark and still. The fire hasn't reached us yet, but it will in about two seconds.

"Brie!" I shout, the smoke catching in my mouth. "Brie!"

"G!" My father yells now, having come into the room. "Gabriella!"

I hear the rumbling and falling getting louder and louder, making the floor move beneath us. Oh, God. Oh, God!

"Brie!" I scream. "I'm here! I came back!"

"She's still here, right?" My father asks me.

"Where else would she be? Brie's smart. She'd know to stay here, where the fire hasn't reached."

"But she's also blind now, Troy" my father says quietly.

"Brie's smart. She'd know what to do", I repeat grimly. "She's here. I can feel it."

The auditorium, unfortunately for us, is one huge room. She could be anywhere in here. Why isn't she somewhere where I can see her? Where did she go? My mind races with questions.

"Brie!" I yell again, more desperate this time. "Brie!"

We wait and wait, forever it seems, but it's only really about a half an hour.

"Dad" I say finally, "You don't think-"

"No, Troy, no. The fire hasn't reached here yet. She's here, somewhere."

"Everything's falling apart around us!" I say. "The school's burning down! And Brie's still here, somewhere, in danger. We don't have-"

"Troy!"

All of the sudden, a muffled, quiet scream comes through the air. "Troy!"

"Brie!" I yell, running in the direction of her voice. "Brie, I-I'm here! I'm here!"

Brie yells again. I yell back. We run to each other-I imagine she's running towards me, anyway, because I know I'm running in her direction.

And suddenly, finally, shuffling out of the darkness comes Brie.

**Gabriella's POV: **

Troy gathers me up in his arms. We are both shaking and crying, holding on to one another. We walk out of the school together, Troy having to shield me from falling-down things every two seconds on our way back through the school. The smoke invades everywhere, making it impossible to breathe. I cover my mouth with my hand, try to breathe through my nose, but that doesn't work either, and so I am left coughing and coughing, even after we've emerged from the burning building.

"Oh, God", I say, wheezing. "Oh, God."

Troy hugs me and I cling to him. My eyes are sore. I rub them roughly, trying to get the irritation to go away. They keep watering too, but I know some of that is from my own tears. My head pounds. All three of us stagger from the school, dazed and blinking. Troy holds my hand. All of the sudden I feel him tug at my hand, turn around.

"Dad!" He yells and he runs back over to his father, with me in tow. "Dad!"

I hear Jack coughing, struggling to breathe. By where his voice is, I imagine Jack is doubled over, on his knees in the grass, and now Troy and I are, too.

"Jack?" I ask. I'm scared. What's going on?

"What's going on, Dad? What's wrong?"

"Can't-can't breathe", Jack says and I feel as though I might fall over myself. Oh, God. Something bad must've happened then, something even worse, because all of the sudden, Troy yells, "we need an ambulance! We need an ambulance!" And suddenly Jack and Troy both are jerked away from me and I'm left standing in the grass, not knowing what to do next.

**Chad's POV: **

Chaos ensued once the fire erupted at East High. The school burned down in front of us, all of us too scared and too sad and too awestruck to leave it be. And so all 1,000 students stood on the green lawn on a bright April day and watched our school crumble to the ground.

Tay and I got separated momentarily in all this panic and that freaked me out, big time. I love her, you know, and you'll never know how scared I was when I didn't see her behind me anymore after we ran out of the library. Scariest thing in the world. Troy found her, though, or he found me, so that I found her and then all was well. For us, anyway. Troy ran back inside faster than I've seen anyone run, ever, to go find Brie, he said. We never heard how that turned out. Because we never saw G or Troy after that. Or at least not Troy, anyway. I found G standing alone in the grass about two hours after the fire had started, looking dumbstruck and frightened.

"G?" I say it softly, so I don't scare her. "G? Its Chad here. Where's Troy?"

"I-I don't know!" She wails, and I hug her quickly. She cries a little against my shirt. "H-He got me out of there and all of the sudden-Jack and Troy-not breathing, and they were ripped away from me-in the ambulance-and-and-" I let her cry for a bit, hug her again.

'"I'm sure they're OK", I say. "Why don't you come to my house? Wait for Troy there?"

"No", she says. "I'd better stay here."

"G, come on", I say. "Come back to the house with us. Tay will be there, too."

"No", she says again. "Troy left me here. How will he know to find me if I'm not still here?"

"We'll text him", I say.

"We can't, remember? 'All circuits busy.'", she snaps. "Don't you think I would've tried that when I was stuck in the auditorium?"

"They're not anymore", I say, holding up my phone even though she can't see it. "They're clear now. We'll try to call him in the car, OK? Just come back to my house."

"Fine", she says, after taking one last, long look at East High. Or what's left of it, anyway. "Lead the way."

**Chad's POV: **

We try to call Troy in the car on the way back to my house. He doesn't answer, forcing Gabriella to leave painfully worried messages for him that are hard for even me to listen to. After she leaves her messages-she calls twice-she clamps her mouth shut to keep the tears in check and looks out the window. When we get to my house, she staggers out of the car, looking confused. I put my arm around her and Tay both.

"Come on", I say. "Let's go inside."

When we get into the house, Gabriella stalls in the living room, sits timidly in the big rocking chair.

"Come on, G. Come into the kitchen. I bet you're hungry." She shakes her head.

"i'll stay here."

"Why?"

"That way, I'll be the first thing he sees when he walks through the door."

"G. Come on."

"I'm cold", she answers, and I shrug a blanket around her shoulders. I walk into the kitchen, turning back to see Gabriella hesitantly relax in the chair. She's still coughing and I see her rub her temples, as if she has a headache.

Taylor gives a look that says, 'let it be', and so I do. We sit in the kitchen virtually silent.

**Chad's POV: **

After about an hour, Gabriella calls Troy again.

"Hey", she says, getting up and pacing around my living room, the wood floor squeaking beneath her footsteps. "It's me. Just wanted to know...where you are. If Jack's OK. If you're OK. Where are you? I'm at the Danforth's with Chad and Tay, waiting. Call me when you get this. Love you."

She sits back in the rocking chair again, sighs, looks down at her hands, which are black with smoke and soot. They look burned but I'm not sure if they are or not.

After another few hours, it is starting to get dark outside. It is nearing six o'clock.

"G, hey", I say coming back into the living room where she still is. "It's almost supper time. Want me to take you home? To your parents'?"

She shakes her head again. "Where's Troy?"

"I don't know, G. I don't know", I say, knowing that's not enough.

"Let me-let me figure out what I'd like to do", she finally says.

"There's no hurry", I say. My parents came home about 20 minutes ago. They greeted Gabriella and she gave them a ghost smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me", I say, and I leave. She looked down at her hands again, looks at her phone with a longing that makes my heart hurt. I have to look away. I dart back into the kitchen to wait with Taylor. She could've gone home when she got here, but she won't leave until Troy comes. She's too great of a best friend to leave G in the lurch like this.

We are waiting, waiting, listening to the sounds of my mother preparing dinner, when all of the sudden, we hear a kind of gagging, breathy sound. We rush into the living room to see Gabriella's face turning slightly blue, looking like she can't breathe.

"G! What's wrong?" I gasp, kneeling beside her, taking her hand. Taylor kneels next to me, looking nervous.

"I can't-I can't-

And at that moment exactly, Troy burst through the door, sending a wave of cold night air with him. The second he sees his wife, he rushes to her, and says, "put your head between your knees." She does so, and her breathing slows after a few moments.

"What was that?" I breathe.

"Panic attack", Troy answers grimly. "What were you thinking about, Brie?" He asks quietly.

"I-I was thinking what would happen if you never came back, if I had to go home alone, how I would go on if you never-if you never-Oh, God", she says, and that awful not-enough-air-trouble-breathing sound starts again. She dips her head and Troy rubs her back. Her breathing slows again, and she stays put there for a few moments, gets a grip, looks up to Troy.

"H-How did you know-what to do? What that was?" I ask then.

"She had one the day after she went blind. Her mom was there. I freaked out, of course, and Chanda helped us through it."

I can't look at either of them, so I turn to Taylor and say, "You can go home now, you know."

"I know", she says. "I couldn't leave until I knew you guys were OK."

"We're OK", Gabriella says.

"You're not", Troy answers drily. "You have smoke inhalation and you just had a panic attack. You're going to the hospital."

"Troy, seriously. I'm fine. And besides, things didn't go so well the last time we went there, remember? I'm not exactly keen on going back there, you know." Taylor and I raise glance at each other. What happened the last time at the hospital?

"I know that. I know. But you're registered. I just came here to get you. And besides, my dad-

"How is he?" Gabriella rushes to ask.

"He's...OK. He's had a very minor heart attack."

"Oh, God", Gabriella says, putting her hand over her mouth. Her whole body immediately tenses up. I noticed this and Troy does, too because he puts his arm around G, and says, "he'll be fine. Seriously."

:Seriously? You're not just saying that to spare my feelings?"

"Would I ever do that to you?"

"Yes", G answers flatly. 'You would. And you have. Are you?"

"No. My mom's with him now. He's fine."

"And I'm-

""You're not", Troy answers, cutting his wife off. "You're going to the hospital." He helps her stand up. The world must sway for her, because she clings to Troy. She staggers a few steps and Troy scoops her easily in his arms, bridal style, and says, "you're going."

He kisses her on the forehead and she says, "fine", in a short voice that makes us laugh.

"We'll be by to visit later", I say as Troy steps through the door.

"Sounds good", Troy answers. I watch him walk down my driveway with his wife in his arms, watch him settle her in the passenger seat of their car, and watch him look at her with such love that I can hardly stand it. I gently close the door then and turn back to the living room.

**Taylor's POV: **

By the time Chad and I make it to the hospital that night, it's late, late, late. Around eleven o'clock. Visiting hours ended ages ago but because of the large stream of people from East High coming and going, they've been extended. I go around to friends, and by the time I get to Gabriella's room, it's past mid-night, almost one. The door's ajar slightly. I poke my head in, washing the room in florescent-yellow light. The first thing I see is Gabriella, looking so small in the hospital bed. An IV is hooked in her arm. She's turned on her side, and I see Troy slumped in a chair next to her bed. They are holding hands. They are holding hands in their sleep. I see Troy's hand is bandaged, the white seeming to glow in the otherwise dark room.

The sight of those two makes my heart hurt, in a good way. They make me believe. They make me believe in true love.

I gently close the door to their room again, look out into the bright deserted hallway. I think of Jack, then, whom I looked in on before I saw Ella and Troy. He was fine, just as Troy said. He looked strong and healthy as he ever has lying there in that bed. He made me believe too, but in a totally different way than that of El and Troy.

I think of those three, of Chad, of Shar and Zeke and Ted and Ryan. Of all of us and everyone. That fire wrecked something that...that we'll never back again. That fire today took away East High. East High! The place where Troy and El fell in love. The place where we learned so much, lived so much, felt so much. Tears well in my eyes and then I feel stupid crying over a school that nobody will probably miss but me. Am I a nerd or what? I roughly wipe the tears away, look back down the hallway, turn and walk out of the hospital.

What has become of us? What will become of us? Only time will tell.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey, lovely readers! **

**Thanks as usual for all your reviews on chapter 11. I know the fire was kind of unexpected but it's been planned ever since I started this story. I'm excited to see where this takes the characters, how this changes them and how this affects the story itself. **

**Enjoy chapter 12! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own HSM or any TV shows, restaurants, or brands mentioned in this chapter. **

**Thanks as always for reading, you guys! Your support means the world to me. **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 12

**Gabriella's POV: **

They're letting me go home today.

The hospital people, I mean. The doctor, actually. I only saw him for about a second, but I don't care. All I care about is getting back home. And, you know, technically, I haven't even been in the hospital for twelve hours, but that's enough time not to get enough sleep. I awoke shortly before four AM, tossing and turning before that, my mind kind of blurry, having weird unrecognizable dreams. Troy slept beside me in the chair, and when I woke up to feel his hand holding mine, I admit it, I almost cried. And then of course that woke him up, and made him get all worried. I lied and said I was fine. He knew it wasn't the truth, but let me run with it, and for that I'm glad. He's always seeming to let me be, in a good way.

I'm in a strange mood. I don't understand it. I don't understand myself. It's probably because I'm so tired, but you never know. That fire yesterday did something to us, even if we can't see it yet; nothing will ever be the same again. It makes my breath catch in my throat when I think about it, so I've been trying not to.

They release me at 7:30 AM. Which is way too early, but whatever. And I'm a huge hypocrite for letting that thought leave my mouth because I just went on about not sleeping and wanting to be home. Whatever. It's the tired talking, people.

They make me ride in a wheelchair and everything! Troy gamely pushes me down the hallway. The nurse doesn't talk and we don't either. It's too early and too quiet in here for that. We're just at the elevators when I hear someone say, "there she is, Sam, right here", and tiny footsteps rush towards me. I stand up, turn in the direction of the feet and feel Sam throw his tiny arms around my waist. He's crying.

"Lala, Lala", he keeps saying. "You're OK? You're OK?"

"Sam, hey", I say softly, calmly, trying not to let his upset-ness make me upset. I kneel down to be eye-level with him, smooth his hair back, hug him. "I'm OK."

I glance up to where I imagine my mother to be. She says, "He was a wreck last night when he heard you were here, Ella. This is the earliest I'd let him come. I thought you'd need the rest."

"It's not like I got any", I mutter almost silently. "Sam. hey, I'm OK. You know that, right?"

"Hospital, Lala! You're in the hospital!"

"Actually, I'm leaving the hospital. Really! Right now!"

"No." Sam gasps.

"Yes!" I say. "Seriously. Troy's pushing me in the wheelchair and everything. We're headed out to the car. You can walk along with us, if you want."

"I'd like that", Sam says shyly.

"All right then", I say. "Hop up in my lap." Sam gets in my lap, hugs me. He relaxes against me as we go out to the parking lot. Once there, we pull up near the Audi. Sam must see me get up slowly out of the wheelchair, walk unsteadily towards the car, because he suddenly sounds worried again when he says, "Lala."

"Sam. I'm OK. Really I am. I just am going to go home and sleep now. I'll see you in a few days, OK, maybe? When I'm all better for sure?"

"OK", he finally says. "But when you don't feel good, you call me! I'll come take care of you, Lala."

"Well, thanks, Sam", I say, laughing a little, ruffling his hair. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Ready to go, Breezy?" Troy asks me now.

"Yes", I say. "So ready."

Troy holds my hand, helps me into the passenger seat of the car. He pushes the wheelchair back inside, says good-bye to my mother and Sam. He gets back into the car, starts the engine. We roar away from the hospital.

"Lala?" Troy finally asks. I groan.

"I knew that was coming", I say, laughing.

"Explain please", he says. I sigh.

"Lala was Sam's name for me when he was little. He couldn't pronounce Ella, let alone my full name, Gabriella, so he said Lala when he was around one, one and a half, and it stuck ever since. He doesn't call me that much anymore, only when he's really upset."

"He was really broken up about you being in the hospital, then."

"I know. I know he was. He didn't have to be, though. I was barely there. I laid in the bed the whole time. I'm fine."

Troy doesn't say anything. I don't say anything. We sit in silence, thinking. When we get home, Troy holds onto my arm. We walk through the front door to the apartment together.

"I'm going to take a shower" I say. "I'm all smoke-smelling." I'm still wearing the clothes from yesterday, which are now forever stained with soot and memory.

After my shower, I lay on the bed. Troy comes into the bedroom and lays beside me.

"You smell good", he says, and I turn my head to look at him, kiss him.

"Thanks. I realized last night, at around three in the morning that I never said it to at the school. Thanks for saving me."

"Anytime, honey", he says. He leans forward and gently kisses me on the mouth.

**Gabriella's POV:**

Troy and I take a long, hard sleep. We nap for about four hours, laying there on the bed together. It's nice. When I wake up, my head feels heavy, in that achy way when you have a fever. I feel as though I am delirious, strange thoughts running through my head. The doctor told me today it'd take a few days to feel 100% again but I didn't want to believe him.

I sit on the edge of our bed. I put my head in my hands and let the tears slip through my fingers. My shoulders shake and my whole body heaves as I cry. Troy comes back in, then, to the bedroom-he awoke slightly before me-and puts an arm around me, sitting next to me on the bed.

"Brie", he says. "Hey, now, everything's all right."

"Is it? Our school burned to the ground yesterday! I don't know what to do!"

"OK. Let me rephrase that", Troy says. "Things _will _be OK. Eventually."

We don't say anymore after that. Troy just holds me as I cry against him.

"I was so worried", I say finally, after a long silence passes between us. "Yesterday. When you weren't there..." More tears come and hot shame races down my back. I shouldn't have felt so awful about that. If I had any sense at all, I should've known he was at the hospital. He's the one who called for an ambulance in the first place! Why would I be worried about where he was if I knew where he was? I'm not quite right in the head, I tell you. "And I keep going on about how fine and OK I am. It's all just one big lie."

"Don't lie", Troy says in a nice way. He hasn't been saying much during my spontaneous outbursts just now. He's just letting me think out loud, work through whatever it is I feel. And I love him for that.

"Troy, what's going to happen?" I ask after a while, quietly, tears still coming and going.

"I don't know, Brie", he replies, his voice grave. "I don't know."

"Where will we go to school? I mean, we have to go to school, right? If we don't, if we don't go to school, we won't graduate and then we won't ever go to college and then we won't ever get good jobs or be happy or anything and-

"Hey, slow down. Brie, you have this habit of worrying about things before they've even happened", Troy says. "Yes, you're right, we do have to go back to school. And we will. Just give the school board a week or two to figure everything out, OK?"

"I just-it's like-I feel so...helpless."

"I know. I know you do. But there's no use worrying about things we can't change."

"Then why do I do that? I do that all the time!"

"I don't know", Troy replies. "I honestly wish you wouldn't. You'd be a lot happier if you just let things be."

"Not everyone can be you, Troy", I snap then. "Not everyone can be the happy-go-lucky guy."

"Hey, I'm not saying you should be me. I want you to be you. All I'm saying is for you to just relax a little."

"You sound like my mother. Freshman year of high school she told me I need to have more fun."

"And she'd be right", Troy says. I swat him on the arm.

"Oh, come on", I say.

"It's true. You do homework for hours a day, You grade papers-

"I'm a TA. That's my job-

"You always put things like grocery shopping or cleaning or something ahead of fun-

"Um, it's called being responsible, Troy. And who would I be if I wasn't?"

"You'd be Brie Bolton, the girl who has fun." That literally makes me laugh out loud.

"Yeah, right", I say. "Like I could ever be that girl. I'm so like Monica on Friends-

"She was always a bit too wound up for me", Troy says.

"Hey!" I swat his arm again. "Troy, I'm serious!"

"I'm serious, too, Brie", Troy says, holding my hand. "If you don't have more fun you'll wind up like Phoebe in the mixed up episode."

"I'll have a heart attack? Two heart attacks?"

"Yeah. She was a workaholic or whatever and look what happened-

"Hey, now, the second heart attack made her be cool Phoebe. She even sang a song about it. With the 'la la la' part at the end!"

"Exactly", Troy says drily. "Which brings me to anther point-

"Which you should just keep to yourself. I'm tired of talking about this and-

I'm cut off by the sound of someone knocking on our door.

"We'll finish this later", Troy says, kissing the top of my head.

I try to dry all my tears as we go into the living room. When Troy opens the door, there stand Tay and Chad. They both sound a little shaken up. I'm glad I'm not the only one who's not OK with this fire thing. I mean, Troy's the one who went back inside a burning down building to save me! Do you how guilty I feel about that? I wonder why he isn't a mess like me? Maybe he hides it better. He was all Mr. Calm and Sensitive back there in the bedroom when we having our conversation just a second ago. Maybe this doesn't affect him that much. Because, you know, everything affects me too much, since I'm so, so overly sensitive and all. But whatever.

Taylor and Chad come in and we all sit in the living room, not saying much.

"It's just so...weird", Taylor says finally. "not being there. Not having a 'there' to be at anymore. It's a regular Wednesday! And what are we doing? Sitting here! What does that say about us?"

"You girls get too worked up", Troy says then. "That doesn't 'say' anything about us. Except the fact that we're not in school because ours burned down."

"God", I say then, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes again. "Troy-

"Where did _that_ come from?" Taylor snaps at him. "Just because we feel more than you do doesn't mean you have to stomp on our feelings like that-

"I do feel things", Troy demands now, his voice louder. "I do. I felt scared for my father yesterday. I felt like the world would end if Brie-if she-Anyway, yes, I do feel things. I just can't feel all that you do. If I did, the weight of that would crush me to death."

"Troy", I say again, quieter this time. I take his hand, hold it. He relaxes beside me now.

"Just-God, can't we all just not talk about this? We'll go back to school when they let us go back to school."

We all sit in silence then, not wanting to contradict Troy. I know he's right, I need to let things be, but how can I when I feel so powerless? So responsible? I go into the kitchen to get a drink, but don't actually get one. I come back into the hallway, cover my face with my hands to prevent the tears from leaving my eyes for the millionth time that day. God. I so need to get a grip. Troy must see me, realize that I'm all upset, because he comes over to me very quietly, takes my hand.

"Brie", he says. "I'm sorry. What I said earlier, I didn't mean-

"Yeah, you did", I say, sighing. "I just-It's just-Can we go see your dad?"

"Yeah, Brie", Troy says just as quietly. "Yeah."

**Troy's POV: **

We get to the hospital around six in the evening. Tay and Chad left after we decided to come here to see my dad. We were pretty subdued on the way over here, and now Brie breaks out into goosebumps as we walk down the long hallway to my dad's room. I put my jacket around her shoulders.

"Here we are, Brie", I say quietly. "Room 206."

She navigates with her cane and she's done a pretty good job so far. I pull up two chairs for Brie and me to sit in around my father's hospital bed. The TV's on low, Sports Center. I should've known.

"Hey, Dad", I say, and my father looks up at me now.

"Kids, hi", he says. "Troy, El." My father is smiling.

"Hi, Dad", Brie says, slipping into a chair next to the bed.

"How're you feeling?" I ask.

"Oh, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about."

"You're sure?"

"Positive, Troy. I'm fine."

"What caused it?" Brie asks now.

"Stress, they think."

"I'm sorry", Brie says quietly and that throws me off.

"Don't be", my father says easily. "El, it was no one's fault."

"It was mine", she says, and I hear her breath catch in her throat, as if she's going to cry again. "If you and Troy had never gone back in East High to get me, none of this would've-

"Stop right there", my father says now. "Gabriella, this was no one's fault. The fire was no one's fault. This minor, _minor_ heart attack was no one's fault. It's all a matter of circumstance-

"Well, I didn't see this happening to everyone else!" Brie shouts now. "No one else had to be rescued! Do you how embarrassed I feel about that? How guilty I feel for all that it's done to us?"

"Brie", I start to say.

"We were doing so well! Things were going so much better for us! And then this had to go and happen and wreck everything and-

"This fire did not wreck everything", I say now. "Brie, listen to me. My father's right. This was all circumstantial. Nothing you or I or anyone could've done would've stopped this. Except for that stupid jerk of a firefighter who wouldn't let me back in", I mutter.

"East High's gone", Brie says then, no tears or anything in her voice. "It's gone, though, Troy."

"I know that, Brie", I say. "You're right. It's gone."

And just like that, I got it: this fire, this tragedy, was just like of nearly every other event in the past year or so. For Brie, and me. For us together. Everything felt taken away, stolen. Everything felt sad. Everything was broken and gone. The blindness, the lawsuit, growing up. Those events forced us to be people we didn't want to be. Those events made us into the people that missed things. The boy and girl who grieved for the people they used to be. At sixteen, we were too young to feel any of that.

Weren't we?

**Gabriella's POV: **

We pull up to East High that night, late. Everything feels cool and spooky out. The air is cold, the temperature dropping off for the night. I shrug Troy's jacket around my shoulders, hold onto his hand. We go on the grass-the dew makes my ankles slick with cold-and all of the sudden, we stop.

"Well", Troy says now, his voice sounding louder than it really is out here in the dark, with nothing to bounce off of. "Here we are."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"We're here", Troy repeats.

"East High's gone, Troy", I say. "It's probably just a pile of black rubble by now."

"But we're still here", Troy says again, with more emphasis. "We're still here."

"Troy-

"That fire may have taken away our school. That blindness took away your sight. Growing up took away our childhood, the people we were. But we're still here, now, young and good and alive and-and-I don't think-it can't-

"I know", I say softly, wrapping my arm around Troy, holding him close to me, looking to where I think the schools ruins lay. "I know."

I look up to the sky, back straight ahead to where the school used to be. I turn to Troy, kiss him on the mouth.

"This doesn't have to define us if we don't want it to" I say when we break apart. "We can still be. We can still have."

"This doesn't have to ruin us", Troy says and tears fill my eyes again. And I was afraid it already had.

"All the love's still there", I say then. "That'll save us. You said it would, remember?"

"Yeah, Brie", Troy says. "I remember."

We stand together, then, in silence, in togetherness, in love. We stand looking up at the sky, hoping and praying that some good will come from this. We stand and watch the starts, listening to the night, to the beat of our hearts as one. We stand and listen and pray and hope. Wrapped up in each other, Troy and I, we know even now we're not exempt from pain. We've had enough lately to last a lifetime, but that only made us better conquers of it, too. We'll get through this. I know we will. The love will save us.

"You believe me, don't you, Brie?" Troy asks now.

"Yeah, Troy", I say, not having to ask. "I believe you"


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey, lovely readers! **

**Thanks for the reviews for chapter 12-amazing and lovely as they always are. I'm so lucky to have you guys as readers, those who've stuck by me since the first chapter of Beautiful Eyes, to the new readers I have favorite-ing my stories everyday. To have my words be thought of as inspiration is so humbling and wonderful. Thanks again! **

**For those who don't know already, I'm on Twitter, Taylorjae15. Follow me if you want! I follow a few of you guys on there and it's so much fun to connect with you all!**

**Enjoy chapter 13! That's Taylor Swift's lucky number, you know. Can you tell I'm excited for her new album, Red?! What do you guys think of it? You'll see my favorite song from the album in this chapter, so keep a look out for that if you want. **

**Anyway, thanks as always for reading and disclaimer: I don't own HSM or Friends or Taylor Swift songs. **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 13

**Troy's POV: **

A day later, the school is letting students come on campus to rummage through the rubble, search for anything salvageable. The fire department could do this, sure, and they'll be here, too, but they invited East High students to peruse through the brick and wood to see if any memories were left alive.

Brie and I get there at about nine in the morning-we both didn't sleep well; we both had nightmares, I just didn't let Brie know about mine-and see that many of our friends and our classmates have gathered here, too. But it's strange to see no one going at it, everyone standing there, awkwardly, waiting for someone to take action.

"Well", I say, holding Brie's hand. "Are we ready to look for East High under here or what?"

**Gabriella's POV: **

About an hour into our search through the burned wood and brick that was East High, I'm all sweaty and gross. I wipe my forehead and look, dismayed, down at my medium-wash distressed skinny jeans and big white T-shirt with slight rusching on the sides, down at my silver flats. They're probably all caked with dirt and marred with soot. But I don't care about that as much as I care about the people around us.

At first the search was a quiet one, even after Troy got us all going. At first we all dug in because we weren't sure what else to do. Then people started finding water-logged textbooks, a broken globe, a broken picture frame with a family candid inside it, that belonged to a teacher. There are shouts of, "Look! Over here! A book from Mr. Fletcher's class!" And, "Look! A piece of chalk!" Every discovery is exciting, some turn into sad ones. My hands are getting especially beat up today, I'm merely grabbing and pulling at anything, so little cuts mar my hands.

"Here, Brie", Troy says after about a half an hour into the search. "Work gloves. For your hands."

"Thanks, but I'm fine-

"Just wear them. If anything, it'd make me feel better, OK?" He says, and when I slip them on, the oily slick of blood trails down my wrist. I look to Troy, surprised, and he just grabs my hand, holds it, lets it go. And then we get back to looking.

**Gabriella's POV: **

We break for lunch at noon, Subway providing sandwiches for us. We eat them sitting in the grass, Troy and I, along with Taylor and Chad, Shar, Zeke, Ted, Ryan, Kelsi. We don't talk much. There's not a whole lot to say, and honestly, even if there was, I doubt we'd be saying any of them right now.

After lunch we get right back into the mess that once was East High. I am tired, but I cannot seem to tear my eyes-make that ears, insert sarcasm here-away. I cannot seem to leave. Even last night, I dragged my feet when it came to going home. I cannot believe that East High is gone, even though the pile of rubble is less than thirty feet from me. How messed up is that? It's like how I was all in denial about going blind when the darkness was smack-dab in front of me, blocking any possibility for sight at all. Why I do these denial things I'm not sure, they sure haven't helped me any.

Immersed in the looking, I soon fail to hear Troy's voice. All throughout the day, it had carried to me, near or far. He was always in reach if I could hear him or touch him. And now that I couldn't, I freaked out. OK? Yes. I really freaked out. But you would too, if...

"Troy?" I shout now, my voice all wavery and worried again. Like it had been days ago, when I was on the phone leaving messages for him at Chad's house. Like it had been when I had asked him what was going to happen during our conversation in our room yesterday. Like it had been this morning, when I had awoken, screaming, from yet another nightmare. "Troy!"

I start walking, my knees banging against the wood. I stick my hands out, needing to find him. I feel like an idiot. Any one of these people could probably tell me where he is. But I don't need just to know where. I need him back here, safe, standing beside me, holding my hand again like he was this morning.

"Troy-" I start to yell again, until I feel footsteps run beside me, stop.

"Brie", he says, sounding out of breath. I throw myself at him.

"Where _were_ you?" I say, my voice muffled by his shirt. I slump against him, the tears pricking at the corner of my eyes, falling down my face, like the pathetic baby I am.

"Hey, hey", Try says quietly, holding me. "Brie. I'm right here. We're OK."

He lets me be for a second, until the tears lessen. Then I look up at him.

"I just-I-I just-love you, you know that?"

"Yeah, Brie", Troy says. "I know that."

"I just-I won't-I _can't_-

"You won't", Troy says then, tilting my chin so I'm looking right at him. "You'll never lose me."

**Troy's POV: **

After we are finished at the school, Brie and I head back to the apartment. We don't say much in the car and when we get inside, we go into the living room, turn the TV on low, not sure of what else to do.

Brie falls asleep after about forty-five minutes and I think I do too, because when I open my eyes next, the light has changed and shifted in the apartment. The sun is sinking into the sky, low and red, looking as though it were on fire.

I get up and rummage in our kitchenette, making dinner, trying not disturb Brie. She wakes up, though, about halfway through the dinner preparations. She comes over and sits on a stool, watches me chop celery.

"What're we having?" she asks.

"Fajitas", I answer.

"'The only thing that would be weird is if someone didn't like Mexican food, because I'm making fajitas!'" Brie burst out, quoting Friends, once again. She laughs and I do, too.

"Ross? Joey? Monica?" I guess, sweeping the celery and tomatoes into a frying pan.

"Ross. He was trying to be all 'fine' after seeing Joey and Rachel kiss."

She laughs to herself, covering her eyes with her hands, as if the hilarity's veered out of control. I smile. I know for right now, she's OK, she's happy. It's nighttime when the fear returns, of the unknowable things, of how the world would be if we were not together like we are now.

**Troy's POV: **

The following afternoon, I come home to the apartment-I was at basketball practice with Chad and the guys-to see Brie dancing around in the living room. I peer at her iHome. Yep, Taylor Swift. Again. "Stay Stay Stay" this time. I smile to myself. She doesn't notice me until about two seconds later and whirls around to face me, stops the dancing, lowers the volume on her iHome.

"Hey", she says, out of breath. "What's up? How was basketball?"

"What? You don't want to finish dancing first?" I say teasingly.

"No!" Brie nearly shouts, laughing. "Stay, stay, stay", she sings under her breath as she pulls her iPhone off the iHome charger. She tosses it on the couch. "What's up?" She asks again.

"I just came to get you. Some announcement about East High."

"Let's go", she rushes to say and grabs her bag, throws her iPhone inside. She practically pulls me out the door, and into the Audi we go, bound again for East High.

**Gabriella's POV: **

When we get to East High, I can tell there's lots of people here by the small roar coming from the grass. We head over there to greet our friends. We sit by one another on the ground.

"What do you think this will be about?' Sharpay asks.

"I don't know", I say. "Troy? Do you know anything?"

"No", he says. "But we'll know something in exactly...seven minutes."

And so we wait for those seven minutes, chatting about things. It feels like we're diving for the ball every time the conversation hits a lull, having to rescue everyone from lack of something to say.

And so all of us are glad when Mr. Masters gets up to talk to us.

"Students", he says, and everyone quiets in a few minutes. "Just some announcements concerning East High." We are all quiet, expectant, looking up at him with doe eyes and hopeful faces. "A local construction company will build us a new East High. They're going to start construction on the first of next month."

A loud murmur sweeps through the crowd now, all of us wondering things now.

"Will it look the same?" someone shouts.

"Yeah, will it have two floors again?"

"Yeah, what about-

"Kids", Principle Masters tries to say, gathering us together again. "Kids, the blueprints look very similar to that of the former building, but-

"But what?" a boy shouts now.

"But", the principle says with emphasis trying to keep the conversation together. "The end result may look a bit different, being that this company did not construct the first school. Now, in the meantime, you'll attend classes at the middle school not far from here until the end of the year. The school should be done by Thanksgiving, possibly Christmas at the latest."

A murmur sweep through again. I turn to Troy with surprise on my face. A middle school? He squeezes my hand.

"You'll start classes right away next week. We want to make sure the seniors can graduate on time-

"What started it?" Someone shouts now.

"Yeah, why the fire happen in the first place?" A girl yells now.

'We're not sure. Some chemical from the science lab perhaps," the principle replies. "We're still looking into it. Now, for the last announcement and an unfortunate one at that. As the school we're taking classes at is only temporary and we've got no other place lined up, I'm afraid there will be no junior/senior prom this year."

_What? _my mind screams, but I keep my mouth shut. "No prom?" Taylor, Shar and I say at the same time. I shake my head.

"But-but-

I open and close my mouth a few times, not knowing what to say.

"Brie, hey, it's OK", Troy says, putting his arm around my shoulders.

"But-I wanted-this is our first prom! I wanted-

'"I know", Troy says quietly and then we don't say anything else.

**Gabriella's POV: **

Later that night, I'm still on the prom issue. Pathetic, I know.

"I mean, I know this is so stupid to be upset about, I mean, there could be a million worse things to be mad about, but-I just-

"Brie", Troy says.

"I mean, really, what's so selfish about wanting to spend a magical night with my husband and my friends? Is that really so bad?"

"No, Brie, listen-

"I mean, seriously. I know, I know. I'm this horrible person for complaining all night about the prom being canceled, but come on! Who else isn't upset?"

'Brie."

"I'm sorry, I really am, but I mean, seriously, any other girl would feel the same. Not that I'm like any other girl, because we all know I'm very well not and I'm OK with that and everything, now, finally, but, I mean, really. Most schools don't have prom at the actual school. Why does it being gone have to make prom go away too? I mean, who says we need East High for the prom, anyway. They could just as well hold it somewhere else."

Beside me, Troy has fallen silent.

"Aren't you going to say something?"

"Nope."

"What are you thinking about?"

"You'll see", he says, and then a glimmer of hope fills me.

**Troy's POV: **

I put my plan into action the very next day. At this point in the story, there'd be a movie montage of me, but since isn't a movie, I guess there won't be one. Sorry about that. You'll just have to imagine me doing sweet things for Brie for our special surprise I have planned. My first step is to send her a text message.

"Troy!" she exclaims after she receives it. "A special date? For you and me? When? Why?"

"You'll see", I say and I know she'll hate that phrase after these next few days.

"Well, what kind of date is it? How will I know what to wear?"

"Oh, you'll know", I say, smiling over my coffee cup. She looks down at her phone, frustrated, looks back up at me, smiles, and laughs. I laugh too, for no reason at all.

**Troy's POV: **

A week later, everything is set up. And on that Friday, finally, Brie will get to know my surprise. She comes home from the grocery store that afternoon to find the apartment transformed. A disco ball hangs in the center of the ceiling, casting shimmering and shining on everything. Streamers are strung up everywhere, just like at a real prom. I have dinner in the oven already-homemade chicken kiev, twice baked potatoes with a romaine salad, plus chocolate cake, of course, for Brie. And I'm dressed in my tux already, too.

Brie comes in with the bags. I take them from her and bring them into the kitchen, unload them quickly.

"It feels different in here", she says. "What's going on?"

"Prom", I say.

"Prom? What do you mean?"

"I mean, prom. Since we couldn't have one at East High, I made one for us here."

"Oh, Troy", Brie says, and her sentence trails off and tears fill her eyes. Happy ones, I hope. "Really? Prom?"

"Really, Pretty Girl", I say, kissing her on the head. She hugs me. "Now, go get ready! Your dress is waiting in the bedroom."

"My dress? But-how?"

"Shar and Tay showed me the one you were considering and I ordered it last week when I came up with my idea."

"_Really_?"

"Really. Now, go! Gina's in there waiting for you. We have a big night ahead of us, you know."

"OK, OK", she says, as if she needs any coaxing. She runs back into the bedroom, calling for Gina. I smile to myself. Tonight is going to be awesome.

**Troy's POV: **

An hour later, Brie emerges from the bedroom in her icy lavender-purple strapless princess prom dress-that's what the description said on the website, that's all I know. She looks beautiful. Her hair is all swept up on her head. She's smiling. I walk over to her, kiss her gently on the mouth.

"Pretty Girl, you look _so pretty_", I say, and she laughs.

"Well, thanks", she says, running her hands up and down my chest. "Are you wearing a tux?"

"Only for you, Brie. It's the one from-

"Our wedding day, I know. Wow."

"iOnly for you would I wear this twice."

"Is it really so bad?"

"No", I say, smiling. Brie laughs and that makes me laugh too. "So, Pretty Girl, you ready for prom?"

"So ready", she says, and I take her hand and lead her into what is going to be a great night.

**Gabriella's POV:**

We are dancing.

My arms are wrapped around Troy's neck and he's holding me in his arms the way he did on our wedding night. It is wonderful. We are swaying to the gentle strains of Taylor Swift's "Enchanted."

We have eaten; the meal Troy prepared was delicious. We lingered over every bit of it, the evening stretching out before us like a long, wonderful road. We've danced our way through Maroon Five's latest hit, to Carly Rae Jepsen, Coldplay, and now, a little Taylor Swift.

"Are you happy, Brie?"

"The happiest", I reply. "But you know, you've already asked me that. During our trip, remember? In Italy?"

"I remember", he says, his voice low in his throat.

"Why ask again?"

"Because that has a whole different meaning now than it did then."

"I know."

We don't say anything after that; the silence around us comfortable, the quiet comfortable, too. We are so in synch, Troy and I, it's hard to believe sometimes. I guess that's what they mean by soulmates. Ever since that first day at East High, I somehow knew Troy was mine. It's been the most beautiful journey becoming his best friend, his wife, his love. I love him so much my heart aches; sometimes even I am surprised by the largeness of it, the love. How did we become the lucky ones? People are always falling in and out of love, on TV, in magazines, in song, in real life. How Troy and I managed to slip past all the petty teenage drama, the binds of something better, that blind search for someone to be with, I'll never know; I'm guessing we're just that smart. We know there's nothing better out there than the two of us.

"I love you", I say. I kiss him on the mouth.

"I love you too, Brie", Troy says.

Those words, we say them all the time. But never once have we forgotten the vows behind them. The weight of all of it. Love is rare and good. We are holding onto it as if our lives depended on it. Which, come to think of it, they do.

**Troy's POV: **

The end of our prom night finds Brie and me on the couch in the living room, still all dressed up. Brie's dress is a mound of fabric between us as she lays on the couch with her head in my lap. I tease her about it. She laughs. We lazily eat the last remains of the chocolate cake, feeding it to each other like we did on our wedding night. It is very romantic, if I do say so myself.

Not, however, as romantic as when I pronounced Brie and me as Prom King and Queen-I mean, come on, you all knew we were bound to win that anyway-beforehand. Yes, as cheesy and lame as I've found it in movies or whatever, the smile that lit Brie's face when I put a fake tiara on her head made it worth it. She put my crown on my head, and we had our very own King and Queen dance, to her favorite song of the moment, Taylor Swift's "Stay Stay Stay." She laughed and laughed and I did too. We were giddy on the laughter, the joy, the love. This night has been everything I wanted it to be; Brie is happy, I'm happy. That's all we want in life, anyway. And right now, well, that's what we've got.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey, readers! **

**It feels as though I've ben gone forever-when, in reality, I've only left T and G for about a week. But I'm super bored right now and so, here's chapter 14 for you all. I hope you like it! **

**And thanks to everyone reading this story. Like I say in nearly every AN, your support means the world to me. **

**Again, I'm on Twitter, Taylorjae15, follow me if you want! **

**Disclaimer, of course: I do not own HSM or any brands, restaurants or TV shows mentioned in this chapter. **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 14

**Troy's POV: **

"Brie, it'll be fine", I say. "I promise."

I pull into the parking lot of the school we're going to attend until the end of the year, which is only a few weeks away. I have been trying to assure Brie the whole way here that this day will go OK, because her silence makes me think she needs some reassurance. All day yesterday she flitted around, nervous, like a bird, not knowing what to do with herself, worrying. About today. It makes no sense to me, but that doesn't mean I won't try to help her out with it all.

We get out of the car. I grab Brie's hand, kiss it, and then we walk into the school, hand-in-hand, not unlike the way we walked into the East High the first day of the year. How far away it all seems!

Brie's literally almost shaking beside me as we march up the steps to the school building. We're going slower than usual; Brie doesn't know the layout of the school very well, even though we walked around and around here just yesterday. I think it's the nerves getting to her, but you never know, right? I'm not blind; I've got no idea of what's going on in her head; I don't know no matter how much I wish I did. And because of our going slower, lots of fellow East High students are passing us, shouting, laughing, mingling with the sounds of the little kids who also attend the school. They've sectioned off a special part of the school for us to use. I'm sure this is all strange for Brie. I look over to her, to see her face set in a long, grim line, not unlike the face she and I both wore so much last year and this year. _What has happened to us?_ I sometimes want to shout. But, right now, I continue my steps into the school, still holding Brie's hand, guiding her.

She steps uncertainly inside the building, where it is hot and humid and filled with East High kids, wandering around until first bell. I see several of our friends, waving us over into circles of laugher and conversation, but I wave them off, politely, and lead Brie through the main hallway, into the principal's office. They've registered us, but we talk to Principal Masters quickly before homeroom. Once we're done with that, we go back out into the bustling hallway and the look on Brie's face tells me she'd rather be back in the office, with the quiet and the slowness, with the knowing of things, voices, people. I wonder again what life is like for her, and have to turn away.

I'm suddenly spirited away by a few of my father's teacher friends who work at this school, leaving Brie in the hallway. I try to hand her off to Taylor or Chad before I'm pulled away, so I know she'll be somewhere familiar until I'm back to her.

And when I get back to her is when she finally loses it.

"I cannot do this! Relearn a whole school? It took me months to learn East High partially sighted and then months and months longer to learn it blind. I cannot-I cannot-"

I am afraid she's going to have another panic attack, her breathing is high and thin and gasp-y.

"Brie", I say, in front of everyone, in this busy hallway. I put my hand gently on her back and her whole body relaxes, slumping against me. I hold her loosely in my arms. hug her to me. "Brie", I say again. "I'll be with you the whole way." These are the same words I said to her at Lake Jenny and that day she had been so brave.

We stand there together, in togetherness, the picture of calm and the view of two people so in synch. In the middle of the bustling hallway, we must look funny. but we didn't care that day after the Neo-Natal Unit and we don't care now. Brie's breathing returns to normal, finally, and when we break apart, her color's back and all is well again.

"C'mon", I say gently. "Let's go to homeroom."

**Gabriella's POV: **

So, there you go.

You now know that not less than ten minutes at our 'new school', I lost it. Lost it in front of everyone, all the tears and our friends and even the little kids! Yes, as stupid as that sounds, I did just say that. Can't I get a grip even once? Guess not. I just keep falling apart and Troy's always there to bring me back together. Well, you know, good for me that I have the best husband in the world, but you'd think that'd help me out more in the "falling apart" area. Guess not. Again. OK. Moving on.

I'm now sitting nervously in our 'homeroom' (yes, I'm going to be putting cynical quotes around everything today, it seems so far), smoothing my dress. in case you were wondering, I'm wearing: a red lace dress with a slim brown belt with a bow on it; brown wedge shoes and a dark-wash denim jacket left open. My hair is curly, left down, and my make-up is simple; for jewelry it's my wedding ring, my T necklace and that's it. Simple and sweet today, I guess. Pretty much my usual.

Anyway, so we're sitting in homeroom, waiting, waiting, for , for the other kids. I now know that we got here early because Troy let us be early. He was smart enough to know I got all freaked out with everyone bustling around, being loud and carefree and with me not knowing how to enjoy any it when I'm so nervous about everything else. And for that, I love him. For sitting here with me in a classroom that's quiet and still and safe, when he very well could be out socializing in the hallway with his friends. If it weren't for me. We won't get into all that stupid, insecure stuff. I don't really feel that anyway; I know Troy loves me more than anyone else, sometimes it's just hard to actually believe it. It makes me wonder what he was like before me. I'll have to ask him.

**Troy's POV: **

After homeroom, we attend English, with Ms. Davis, same as always. I notice she's got some slight burn marks o her face and hands; I heard from kids that she was one of the last out of the school, herding kids outside and all of that, saving them. She tries to continue, hold class as if nothing's wrong and I've got to give her some credit for that. Her voice is bright, chirpy, high, and she flits around like Brie did yesterday, nervous and not knowing what to do. I look to Brie and she looks as if she understands. Which I guess she does.

And so the whole day goes on like this. Teachers smiling too much, not giving any homework, walking on eggshells around all of us. We eat lunch outside in the grass, since there's no cafeteria in this school. Everyone is weary, quiet. We don't say much.

By the time we get home that afternoon, it only takes Brie about twenty minutes to fall asleep on the couch in the living room. I leave her a Braille note about an hour later, telling her I'm going to play basketball with Chad and Ted. And when I get back at around 6:00, Brie's awake, preparing supper, singing along to Taylor Swift. I give her a quick kiss on the mouth.

"Got my note, huh?"

"Yep", she says. "If I hadn't, you would've gotten a phone call, believe me."

I go back to the night when she was at Chad's, calling and calling me. I should've called.

"What're we having, Breezy?" I say, to get my mind off of the tough things.

"I thought we'd have something kind of light, summery, you know? So we're having chicken with a lemon and herb marinade and rice and cucumbers."

"That's the meal I made for you", I say quietly.

"I know. The night after I freaked out and jumped in the pool to try to feel something again."

"The night after I rescued you, got so mad at you."

"I know you did, But you had to. Someone had to shake some sense in me. Since the whole pool thing didn't, obviously."

"You weren't crazy, Brie. You weren't all messed up. You were you. Adjusting."

"I know. I know that now. But I didn't, then."

"Yeah", I say, and then silence settles over us like a sheet.

"Well", Brie says, and I see in her face that she's as uncomfortable as I am talking of the past. "Supper'll be ready in like twenty minutes."

"Okay", I say, and there's the end. We move easily around each other again and the dynamic between us is resolved. Just like magic.

**Taylor's POV: **

A few days after we start at the temporary school, Friday, Gabriella is running through the halls, looking for Troy.

"Have you seen Troy?" she asks me, breathless.

"No, I haven't. Where-"

"He was right behind me, right behind me, and then I hear some conversation and all of the sudden he wasn't there anymore, and I didn't know where I was anymore and I got kind of, um, freaked out, and I, um, I-"

"I'll help you find him", I say gently, wondering again what it's like to not see, to need someone the way Troy and El need each other. We walk through the halls together, looking for him, finding him nowhere. All of the sudden, we hear a small voice yell out, "Gabriella!" And both Ella and I turn around. I see a little girl, with brown curly hair and big brown eyes, in a little lace dress, cute little oxford shoes. She looks to be about a first-grader.

"Emma?" Gabriella asks. "That you?"

"Yep!" the girl-Emma?-chirps brightly. "It's me. Emma."

"Hi!" El replies warmly, kneeling so she's beside Emma, putting her hand on her shoulder. "Tay", she says, turning to look up at me. "This is Emma. She's the little girl I'm going to be tutoring next fall in Braille. We're going to read books together."

"That's so cool", I breathe. "Hi, Emma. I'm Taylor, Gabriella's best friend."

"Wait, I thought Troy-" Emma starts to say and then Troy swoops into our little circle. The relief that fills El's face makes me want to cry.

"Hey, guys", he says. And then: "And you must be Emma. I'm Troy, Gabriella's husband."

"Troy! Hi!" Emma says, seeming to be happy to see someone familiar, and I wonder how that all happened. And then Troy slips his arm around Gabriella's waist and the three of them go on animatedly chatting with each other and for the first time ever, finally, to me, they look like a real family.

**Gabriella's POV: **

The first week at our 'new school' finally ends, and on that day Troy and Taylor and I see Emma and talk with her and that made my week a million times better. Even still, I'm glad to be home, to be free for the weekend, to be almost done with this school year.

Troy and I drive leisurely home on that sunny Friday afternoon in late May and I'm glad to be next to him and to be breathing air, feeling the sun on my face and remembering the joy in Emma's voice today. I'm feeling very differently towards the end of this school years as opposed to last year. Last summer, all that awaited me was the darkness and the wedding. Extreme sadness and extreme happiness. And this summer, I am excited for the new opportunities for our senior year, not dreading anything in particular, not nearly on the magnitude scale of last year, certainly. So, I guess what I'm saying is that I'm feeling pretty content with things, as of right now, anyway; happy to be married and OK with being blind, finally, relishing in the joy of everyday and the wonders of my friends and the love of my family. Troy's always there, and his love is always there, too, keeping us together, reminding me to look for the light in all this darkness. And for that I'll always love him. For everything I'll always love him.

**Troy's POV: **

I'm driving us home on the same Friday we meet Emma and I look over to Brie to see her smiling a soft smile. A smile I haven't seen all week. A smile I haven't seen, genuinely, in longer than I can remember. And as sad as that could make me, I'm happy about it, too, because I think she's finally OK now, Brie is, and I'm still amazed every day at how much strength and courage she has to start her life over like she's done in the last year or so. Every time I look at her I'm more in love with her, every time I'm with her, I'm more amazed by the wonderful person she is. And I'm awestruck, honestly, that she fell in love with me like she did. And for that, for her love, I'll do everything I can to hold onto it, cherish it, keep it safe and good and as perfect as it is now. We're young, yeah, but our love I already know, is old and wise and rare and beautiful, ready go the distance, ready to deal with whatever we put it through. We're soulmates, Brie and me, and the love that we have for each other will outlast everything. And when that happens, it will still be beautiful.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey, lovely readers! **

**Sorry, sorry, sorry I haven't updated in so long. I've been so crazed with school and finals, and pretty obsessed with Naley from One Tree Hill-Nathan and Haley, in case you didn't know-and so there you go. Hours spent on YouTube. I'm a hopeless romantic you guys know that, and I've been thinking about Troy and Brie quite a bit like usual. This chapter is actually pretty grand, and I want it to be just right. So, here we go. **

**Also, it means so much that I still receive e-mails saying that Beautiful Eyes is on your guys' favorite story/favorite author list. That means so much to me, you guys have no idea! Thanks for everything who reads my stories, it seriously is the best thing in the world. **

**Disclaimer again: I don't own HSM, nor any brands or TV shows mentioned. **

**Who are your guys' favorite romantic couples? **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 15

**Gabriella's POV: **

It's August now.

Late August, actually, but whatever. School starts in three weeks. The summer has been pleasant, the days breezing by long and slow and sweet. It has been everything we needed, Troy and I, and I doubt either of us is ready to give this up for favor of waking up early and doing homework again. We've spent long nights in the dark, with each other, and the quiet, music, relishing in one another's company, no words needed at all. We've spent days with our families, outside, amidst the sunshine, having lazy afternoon get-togethers that turn into supper parties that turn into breakfast outings to Perkins. We've stayed up too late and watched too much TV. We've spent too many hours with our friends, doing nothing productive, but everything that matters, talking and hanging out. We've eaten too much ice-cream and we've naively thought that the fall time wouldn't come for us again, but it's almost here and we're sad about it, honestly.

"C'mon, Breezy", Troy says now, trying to cheer me up on a Tuesday in early August. "It'll be OK. It's our senior year after all."

"And what's so great about that?"

"It's our last one?" Troy guesses.

"But, really, it's not", I say. "Then we've got at least four more years slogging through lectures and term papers in college."

"It's the right thing to do."

"I know", I whine. "I know it is."

"What did you think would happen anyway? Would you just not go?"

"No", I say defensively. "Of course I would go. I would go to college. I will. With you, wherever we end up. It's the right thing to do, like you said."

He comes and sits next to me on the couch in the living room.

"And hey, we've still got three weeks. Nearly a whole month. Let's just focus on that."

"How did I manage to marry the most perfect guy on the planet?" I wonder aloud.

"The better question is, how did I manage to snag such a beautiful wife?"

"Oh, stop", I say, laughing. "You don't really mean that!"

"I do too mean it", Troy says, laughing at me. "Just like you meant that I'm perfect. Because I am."

"Troy!" I exclaim, covering my eyes and laughing again.

"Oh, and you really are beautiful, Brie", Troy says. "Just in case you didn't know already."

"I know. I've known nearly every day since we met, because you're always here to tell me."

"I am", Troy says quieter now, kissing my neck. "And I always will be."

I turn to face him, kissing on the mouth, letting the kiss deepen until we're laying on the couch, wrapped up in each other. We just lay there, in the quiet, with each other, and I think, _we will last forever. _

**Troy's POV: **

I wake up early the next morning, blinded by the sunlight streaming through the windows of our bedroom. I look down to see Brie still sleeping soundly, her head resting on my chest, her hair splayed across the pillow, the sun framing her face just so. She's beautiful. I watch her sleep for a few minutes, then carefully get up so as not to disturb her. I get dressed in workout clothes, leave a quick memo for Brie on her phone-so she can hear my voice leaving her a message instead of taking time to write her one in Braille today-and head out the door. I go down to East High to meet Chad and Ted and the guys at the outdoor basketball court out back. As I pull in to the student parking lot, Chad does too. We greet each other and race to the court to see who's the fastest.

"Yo, Troy!" Ted exclaims when he sees me.

"Yo, Ted!" I intone back and we laugh.

I grab the cart with the basketballs on it and grab one from it, dunking it in the basket.

"Show off", Chad says, laughing.

"You're one to talk", I say. "You're the one who challenged me to a game right in front of the girls two days ago."

"And then you got all proud and beat me all because Gabriella was smiling at you", Chad says. "You really are half of a mushy married couple, you know that?"

"Yeah, I do know that. Now, go left", I say, and he does, just like always, and then the game is started.

**Troy's POV: **

When the game ends, I head back home to Brie, who by this time is awake, reading out in the living room, freshly showered. I kiss her good morning and make coffee for the two of us. We eat breakfast together and then I head to shower. When I come back into the bedroom, Brie is there too, putting on her jewelry. I see her lightly finger the rose-headband I bought for her in Fiji that now is hanging on the corner of the mirror on the dresser.

"You miss it, huh?"

"What? Fiji? Yeah", Brie says, looking wistful. "That trip was so great and awful all at the same time. But Fiji was definitely my favorite part."

"Mine too", I say.

And then I get an idea.

**Gabriella's POV: **

I'm singing along to my iPod and washing the dishes around supper time a few days later when Troy comes home, sounding cheerful.

"What's up?" I ask after he gives me a kiss on the mouth in greeting.

"We're going back", Troy announces.

"Back? Back where?" I ask.

"To Fiji", he answers.

"Really?" I exclaim, letting out a screech of delight. "Really? Fiji?"

"Yep", Troy answers.

"Why?"

"We never got a real honeymoon-

"-because the blindness got in the way-

"-and I thought it'd be cool to celebrate with a belated honeymoon on our first anniversary as a married couple."

"You really are the perfect guy, aren't you?" I say, and then we are holding each other.

"I am", Troy says, and then he leans down and kisses me on the mouth.

"When are we leaving? I'll need to pack..." My mind is already off and running.

"Relax, Breezy", Troy tells me, laughing. "We leave at the end of the week, and we stay for ten days. That way, we still have time to come home and readjust to the everything before school starts."

"Yeah, school", I mutter, then shake my head to rid my brain of the thought.

"Hey, remember what I told you a few days ago. Just focus on the good stuff, the time we have left. Now, you said you had packing to do. Get to it!"

"Yes, sir", I say jokingly and we laugh together. I sprint off to the bedroom to grab our suitcases.

**Troy's POV:**

Four days later, we arrive in Fiji. Brie is jittery with excitement, wearing a simple summery dress. I hold her hand as we head to our hotel. We walk and look around, look at everything, the people, the scenery, the buildings. I describe things to Brie as I see them and she nods along, turning descriptions into images and those images into memories.

"This is all just so...awesome", she says, trying to sum up whatever is going on in her head.

"It is pretty great, isn't it?" I say as she relaxes against me as we walk along.

"Thank you", she says now, looking up at me. "Thanks for this."

"Hey, don't thank me yet, Pretty Girl. This is just the beginning", I say.

**Troy's POV:**

When we get to our hotel, we drop our stuff off and change into beachwear. Brie grabs her bag with her stuff and we're off again. We head down to the beach, which is on the same property as our hotel, a mere 200 feet from our room. We lay on towels, sipping bottled water that Brie brought, blinking at the bright sunlight, enjoying the warm air around us.

But the laying down doesn't last long. I rent a Jet-Ski for us, and Brie and I go zipping around the water, Brie squealing and laughing in delight as she hangs on tight to me. After the Jet-Skis, we play in the ocean, laughing and splashing one another. I carry Brie piggy-back from the sea and back to our towels. She clings to me a minute before I drop her, pressing a kiss to my shoulder.

"I love you", she whispers.

"I love you too", I say, hugging her to me before we both relax again on our beach towels.

**Gabriella's POV: **

After a few hours at the beach, Troy and I head back to our hotel room. We are sandy and tired, but in that way that the ocean makes you tired. We shower and then dress to go out to dinner. I wear a simple white dress with brown wedge shoes and minimal jewelry, my hair and make-up natural and pretty. Troy wears khaki shorts and a deep-blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. We hold hands as we lazily stroll towards the main drag where the restaurants are. It is already nearing dusk, the sun setting low in the sky, spewing pink and red and orange and blue and purple into the sky, lit up against the turquoise-blue of the ocean and the white-sand beach.

We eat at a simple, family-oriented authentic restaurant. We both have salmon with a sweet mango sauce over rice and an assortment of vegetables. For dessert, we split an order of sherbet ice-cream, it tasting fruity and cold and tart on our tongues. We pay our bill, leave, and return outside, where the air is still wonderfully mild, despite the blackness that surrounds us now that the sun has gone down.

We return to the hotel and sit on our balcony, over-looking the beach, in the swing that fits us both. We snuggle together, and Troy wraps a blanket around the two of us even though he isn't cold. He did that because he knows I am. I rest my head on his shoulder. He holds my hand. We don't say much for a while, murmur things like, "dinner was good", or "the beach was lovely", or "I wonder what everyone is doing back home" every so often. At about mid-night, Troy leads me to bed and we lay together, falling asleep.

"Good-night, Brie. I love you", Troy says quietly.

"Good-night, Troy. I love you too."

That was the first day.

**Troy's POV: **

About a week later, I wake early again. I leave Brie a quick message and sneak out to grab breakfast for the two of us. I pick up a few other grocery items and get back just as Brie is waking up.

"Got your note", she says, still in bed, sitting up, smiling a sleepy smile at me.

"I was hoping you would", I say. I put the groceries away quickly and then sit by her on the bed. "I realized I haven't yet kissed you good-morning."

"Good-morning", Brie answers, smiling; we kiss. "So", she says afterward. "What's the plan?"

"What do you mean, 'what's the plan?'"

"Well", Brie says, "you left me this note, left early and went to the store, you must have something awesome planned if you got up that early."

"Well", I say. "I thought first we'd go for a run on the beach together and then have breakfast and then spend the rest of the day hanging out on the beach. How's that sound?"

"That sounds perfect", she says.

"I was hoping you'd think so", I say, and then we go and grab our running clothes.

**Gabriella's POV: **

Later that evening, after we've run on the beach and eaten and played in the sun all day, we've retired to our room, ordering room service for supper. I eat an ice-cream sundae and Troy laughs at me.

"What?" I say. "We're on vacation, right? I can eat ice-cream for supper if I want to, right?"

"Yeah, Pretty Girl", Troy says. "You can."

After our "supper", we take a romantic stroll on the beach, the moon lighting our way. I wear a white silk halter dress, and Troy wears jeans and a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

"Do you, Gabriella Bolton, know how much I love you?" Troy asks.

"Yeah, Troy", I say. "I do know. I know how much you love me, because I love you just as much." We kiss underneath the star-soaked purple sky.

"Now can I say thank you?" I ask when we resume conversation.

"For what?"

"For this trip, for knowing somehow what I need, for how you've been these past two years since I've known you, for how you've been this past year as my husband."

"Sure, you can thank me for that", Troy answers quietly. "But you've got to know you're all that for me. You saved me from just going through the motions. Before you, I was popular, I did OK in school, I went out with a few girls, but I never felt anything like how I feel about you."

"You saved me from feeling unloveable", I say.

"And you gave me someone to love. Gabriella, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, anything. You completely changed me, my world, you changed everything."

"You changed everything for me", I say, as we face each other, holding both our hands. "You made me feel safe, wanted, happy, alive. These past two years falling in love with you has been the best and scariest and most awesome experience of my life."

"Me too", Troy says, and he leans in and kisses me again. "I want you, Gabriella. I love you so much."

"I love you too", I say breathlessly and I lean in and we kiss again, the kiss growing deeper and both of us sinking into it. His hands hold me so gently, I think I am going to cry, right here, on the beach, in front of absolutely no one.

"Let's go back", Troy says, and so, we do, the love surrounding us like a fog.

**Gabriella's POV: **

We get back to the hotel, and all the feelings are all there, rushing, at the surface. I love this man so much, Troy Bolton, the man who's changed my whole life. He's my soulmate.

"God, Gabriella, I love you", Troy says as he kisses my hair.

"I love you, Troy" I say. We move to the bed, wrapped up in one another, in all the love that is here, now, that will always be.

And so, we make love. For the very first time. Our very first time. It feels like the most right, natural thing in the world. We are safe as we can possibly be, all careful. It is terrible and wonderful and sweet and blurry all at the same time. We are a happily married couple, so much in love with one another our hearts ache. I cannot believe I get to be this lucky.

**Troy's POV: **

When it is over, we lay holding each other, falling asleep.

"I love you, Gabriella", I say quietly, and Brie bursts into tears. She puts her head in her hands, crying. "Brie?" I ask. "Sweetheart, what's wrong? Are you hurt, did I?-

"No, no", Brie says, shaking her head, reaching for my hand. "I'm fine."

"Then why are you crying?"

"Because I'm _happy_!", she exclaims, crying and laughing at the same time, and I pull her close to me, smiling as I kiss the top of her head.

"I'm happy too", I say, and we both laugh quietly together.

"I love you, Troy. I love you so, so much."

"I love you, too, Gabriella. I love you too."

**Gabriella's POV: **

The remainder of our trip is blissful, full of seeing sights, the beach, I go parasailing again. We eat good food, spend lazy days doing nothing, stay up too late talking and laughing. I am sad again the day we leave.

"Cheer up, Breezy", Troy says as we pack. "This trip was great."

"The best", I reply. "That's why I'm sad! It was the best trip!"

"Better than the Round the World one?"

"They were both awesome in different ways", I say, smiling at him. "We both grew so much in these last two years, it's incredible-

"It's incredible we get to have this, this "in love" thing we've got going on."

"You bet it's incredible", I say playfully and we laugh. I kiss him quickly on the mouth and then head into the bathroom to do my make-up.

**Troy's POV: **

We get home to Albuquerque late that night, at around 11:30 PM. I gently shake Brie's shoulder to wake her, and we stagger off the plane and into the airport. I quickly grab our suitcases. I put my arm around Brie, and we head home. Our apartment is dark and empty and it feels nice to be back. I leave our suitcases in the living room, deciding we'll unpack in the morning.

"C'mon, Brie", I say. "Let's go to sleep."

**Gabriella's POV: **

We both wake up at around eight o'clock. Troy goes for a run while I quickly shower and dress and then begin to unpack. By the time Troy comes back, I'm done with the first suitcase and have done one load of laundry. We have a quick breakfast together and then Troy goes to get ready while I finish unpacking.

The rest of the day we don't do much, catching up on laundry and cleaning. We take a nap in the afternoon and eat a late supper. But by the end of the day, when we finally sit down together to watch some TV, I finally feel more balanced and OK. I feel better about being back here. If home means snuggling with my husband in our cozy apartment, I think that's an OK deal.

"You know", I say, looking up at Troy. "I feel better. About school, about our future, about everything. I think the trip was exactly what I needed."

"Good", Troy says. "I think we both needed it."

"The best honeymoon I've ever had", I murmur, falling asleep in his arms. He kisses the top of my head.

"Me too", I hear him say, and then everything fades away into peaceful oblivion.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey, lovely readers! **

**Thanks for the awesome reviews for chapter 15! Thanks especially to Miss Romance-Lover. Her review actually made me tear up! I was so worried you guys wouldn't like chapter 15, but I'm so glad with the response. Thanks, Miss Romance-Lover! Great reviews and readers like you keep me going! Thanks for believing in this story. **

**I can't believe Troy and Brie have been married for a whole year already! Crazy, right? **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter 16! Thanks again for all your support! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own HSM or any other brands or restaurants or TV shows mentioned in this chapter. **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 16

**Troy's POV: **

"Breezy, let's go", I say. I am shouting at Brie through the wall. Again. She comes out a second later, dressed in a black, tan, and pink floral-print tiered skirt that goes a few inches before her knees, a simple beige lace tank top, with a baby-pink cardigan over it left open and simple tan suede ankle boots with a short, sturdy heel, literally dragging her feet. Her hair is simple, curly, left down, and her make-up and jewelry are standard.

"Honey, it's going to be fine", I say.

"I know. I just wish we were going back to East High", she murmurs.

"Me too", I say, wrapping her up in a hug before we officially leave.

"Bye, Gina", Brie calls as we depart. "Thanks!"

"Anytime. G", we hear her yell back and then we get in the car.

**Troy's POV: **

When we get to the temporary school we used last spring, there is a mix of elementary-school children and high-schoolers. It is twice as loud, being in such a small space. I park the Audi and Brie and I walk in together. I hold her hand. We are greeted by various groups of kids, and we are stopped every few feet to be asked about our summer. It is overwhelming, this back-to-school thing, being in such tight quarters, with this many kids, inhaling the smell of ripe erasers and fruity perfumes, a nauseating blend. I look down to Brie, who is disoriented, holds my hand tightly.

It is only when we greet out friends that we relax. I see my father standing nearby, talking to a group of teachers. I hear him laugh. I think he sees me, but I don't acknowledge it.

"Well", Chad says. "Ready for another year of homeroom with Darbus?"

"Always", Brie says, laughing.

"Let's go then", he says, and so we do.

**Taylor's POV: **

As I watch Troy and Gabriella interact in homeroom, I notice there's something different there. They are more connected, if that's even possible. The way they are with each other...something tells me that they are as much in love as I've ever seen them. And for that, I am happy. For that, I am so glad. For all the upheaval that's happened, they've got to have something to hod onto. We all do.

**Gabriella's POV: **

And so, for the rest of the day, we go from classroom to classroom, to English to Math to Free Period to Lunch and then History and Science. And then after school I go the library with Tay and Shar, after picking up some papers to grade for the Freshman English class I'm a TA for. We study and laugh and then Tay drops me off at the apartment. Troy gets home about an hour later, after a pre-season basketball workout, and he comes home to music blaring from my iPod, while I make supper.

"Hey", he says in greeting to me, giving me a quick kiss.

"Hey yourself", I say, smiling.

He goes to shower and I finish setting the table. By the time he emerges from the bedroom in shorts and a T-shirt, everything is ready.

"This looks great, Brie", he says.

"Thanks", I say. He turns on Sports Center, but mutes it, so my music can still play. And so, we enjoy a nice dinner with just the two of us in our apartment. Sometimes the happiness I find in this still overwhelms me.

**Gabriella's POV: **

After dinner, we settle on the couch with our homework and our MacBooks. We do homework together, laughing and talking and going off-track. I am the one who brings us back to the reality of our post-lab for the experiment we did today in science class.

"I'm glad you're my lab partner", I say thoughtfully.

"You are? Why?"

"Because with you, there's no pressure. I can just be."

"But you're so smart. I never knew you worried about stuff like that."

"Well, I do. You already know how I am, who I am. I don't have to prove anything."

"But the kids in the class-

"Still speculate and wonder about me?" I say.

"Brie-

"Troy, C'mon. I know they do. I can feel their gazes on my face every time I raise my hand to say something intelligent."

"Not everyone's like that, though, Breezy. Not even half of the kids."

"I know."

"It'll go away in time, sweetie", Troy says.

"But that's always what it will be like", I say, then, thinking aloud. "Every time we moved, I had to prove myself at each new school I went to. I don't know where that pressure came from-

"It came because you put it there. You put it on yourself to be good, despite your disability."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Probably you wanted to prove it to yourself just as you did everyone else."

"That's probably true", I say, dropping the issue.

"Did you and Tay and Shar get a lot of studying done after school?"

"Yeah", I say, relived that Troy picked up on the change in subject. "We're ahead on the notes for History and everything."

"Good."

"How was your workout?"

"It was pretty good. Lots of guys showed up."

"That's good."

"Yeah. I just am anxious for the season to start."

"I know", smiling over my science notes. "I know you are. In the meantime, you can spend more time hanging out with me."

"You got that right", Troy says, and we laugh. "And in the meantime, you can do something for you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, something for you, no one else."

"But Troy, I'm already a TA, I'm going to help Emma read Braille, I'm tutoring Jason in Spanish-

"And those are all things for other people."

"But I like helping people!" I exclaim, laughing. "What's so wrong about that?"

"Nothing. I think that's great that you want to help people, but you never do anything that's just for you, you know?"

"But, in a way, those things are all for me. I help other people, but I'm helping myself too."

"True. But I just think you should pursue your passion, too, like I get to do with basketball. What are things you really love?"

"Music", I say, finally, after thinking about his question for a good couple of minutes. "Music's what I love. Besides you, of course."

"Then pursue that."

"But, Troy, I mean, come on. I wouldn't even know where to start."

"Just start simple."

"How's that supposed to help me?" I say, laughing.

"Write songs, maybe. Play your guitar, play the piano."

"I already do that."

"Well, then, keep doing it."

"OK, OK, I will", I say, throwing my hands in the air. "I will go for this music thing."

"I'm happy for you, Breezy", Troy says, leaning over to kiss me on the cheek.

"Where did this come from, anyway?" I ask.

"I just want you to be happy", Troy says simply.

"I am", I say, "I am happy."

We sit there, thinking for a few minutes.

"But, I mean, hey, this could go really badly. I mean, do you know what music did for Nathan and Haley's marriage? It nearly killed it."

"You watch too much TV", Troy says flatly, making me laugh.

"i mean, when she went on tour and left Nathan, I was not very happy with her decision-

''Brie."

"And then when she came back and spent all of season three loving Nathan and being scared of loving music again-

"Brie."

"I mean, sure, music was a big part of her life, but so was Nathan, so was her marriage. I mean, this music thing, it could wreck everything."

"Brie."

"What?" I finally say.

"That's not going to happen. Music's not going to destroy our marriage. I mean, hey, if it was going to fall apart, it would've already, you know?"

"Yeah", I say in a softer voice, looking down. "Because of the horrible blindness and the lawsuit and all of that-why did you even marry me? All you did was marry problems."

"Not this again", Troy mutters. "Brie, listen to me. I love you, and you love music. Go for that. Don't be afraid of it. Live your dreams if you want to."

"Where is this coming from?" I ask again.

"I just figured you've finally gotten a handle on all this blindness stuff, I didn't want you to stay stuck in that. I don't want that to define you."

"It doesn't. I learned that very difficult lesson from Chloe."

"You did?"

"The day we had our conversation last spring? When we stayed for dinner and we made pizza? Yeah, before you got there, we yelled at each other, well more like she yelled at me. But it was something I needed."

"You never told me that."

"I don't know why I didn't. I guess I figured I kind of already had, since all the stuff Chloe said was basically all the stuff you had been telling me all along."

"Great minds think alike", Troy says, we laugh quietly. He leans forward and presses a kiss to my forehead.

"So where does that leave us?" Troy says finally. "After this run-away conversation and all."

"I guess it leaves us...here", I say. "With the music thing. I'll do it."

"You will?"

"Yeah", I say. "I will."

"Breezy, that's great."

"This better not come back and be a bad thing", I say warningly.

"Don'y worry. It's going to be great", Troy says, and I start to believe him.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey, lovely readers! **

**Thanks as always for your awesome reviews for chapter 16! They are always much appreciated! I'm glad you guys liked that Brie is doing something for herself. I do, too. **

**Enjoy chapter 17! **

**And as always, disclaimer: I do not own HSM, or any of the songs, brands, restaurants or anything else mentioned in this chapter. **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 17

**Troy's POV: **

A few days later, we are at school, in between classes, when Sharpay comes rushing up to us, excited.

"Guys!" she cries. "Guys!"

"What?" Brie finally says, smiling.

"Musical auditions! Musical auditions!"

"So? We heard about them in homeroom," Brie says. "Your point is?"

"You should audition! You both should! You all should!"

"Shar, look, I don't know..."

"C'mon, El. You're an amazing singer. Why not?"

"Yeah, Breezy", I say. "You should."

"Troy, come on."

"No, Brie, you come on. Remember what we talked about-

"I know what we talked about, but, I just don't know if-

"Come on, El", Shar says again. "It's just an audition. Nothing bad there, right?"

"I guess not, but then there's the whole problem of which song to pick, and to practice it and all of that, and-

"Oh, come on, honey, you know you want to", I say, and she laughs.

"OK", she says finally. "I'll audition if you will."

"Brie, come on. Singing's your thing, not mine."

"Hey", she says. "A deal's a deal. I'll sing if you will."

"OK", I say finally, much to our friends' delight. "I'll audition. We both will."

**Gabriella's POV: **

Later that day, I sneak away early from lunch and go to see Ms. Darbus. I find her in her classroom, preparing for her next class.

"Ms. Darbus? Um. Hi. Listen, could I talk to you for a second?"

"Of course, Gabriella", my teacher replies. "What do you wish to talk about?"

"Well, I was more wondering, really, I mean, I-

"About what, Gabriella?" Ms. Darbus says quietly.

"Auditions. For the musical, I mean. Is it-? Can I-? Will it-?"

"You are perfectly eligible to audition, Gabriella", Ms. Darbus finally says.

"I am?" I am afraid my voice has gone up about twelve octaves, all giddy.

"You are. You'll do great."

"Thank you, Ms. Darbus", I say. "Thank you for this."

"Hey, you earned it. You'll do great, Gabriella. Trust me", she says, and I do.

**Gabriella's POV: **

"Which song will you pick?" I ask Troy this as we are walking out to the student parking lot at around 5:00 PM that same day. Troy was working out with the basketball team and I was tutoring Jason in Spanish.

"I don't know, I haven't thought about it", Troy says. But from the smile I can hear in his voice I can tell that he has thought about it.

"Liar", I say playfully, swatting his arm. "You so have thought about it."

"OK, so I have", Troy says, laughing. "Don't tell me you haven't, Breezy."

"OK, so I have", I say, and we both laugh.

**Gabriella's POV: **

Later that same evening, I am in the living room, rummaging through our CD collection, trying to pick a song for my audition. Troy comes in too but I shoo him away.

"Hey!" I exclaim. "It's going to be a surprise, my audition song."

"Are you implying that I'm not wanted here, Breezy?" Troy asks playfully.

"Yes!" I say. "Now, shoo!" and he does.

"OK, but you know we have to pick a duet for our pair audition", he yells back at me as he walks away.

"I know. And we'll do that. After I pick my fabulous individual audition song."

"Whatever you say, Breezy", Troy says, laughing.

And then I go back to searching for songs.

**Troy's POV: **

A week later, we are gathered in the auditorium, after school, getting ready for our musical auditions.

"Ready for this, Brie?" I ask her.

"Oh, yeah", she says, smiling at me, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm ready. Are you?"

"Oh, yeah", I say, and we stand there, facing each other, looking all serious, until we lose it and laugh at each, then we kiss.

"C'mon, you guys, stop making out, Ms. Darbus is here", Shar says and we break apart, laughing. We hold hands and sit next to each other.

"All right", Ms. Darbus says. "Time for individual auditions. We'll go in alphabetical order, starting with Gabriella Bolton. Gabriella?"

"Knock 'em dead, sweetheart", Troy says quietly as I get up, making me laugh.

I walk up to the stage, get my bearings quickly, thanks to the run-through Troy and I during Free Period earlier in the day. The instruments behind me are ready. I smooth my dress; I am wearing a simple black fit and flare cotton dress with a scoop-neck and quarter-length sleeves, and simple pointed-toe nude flats. My hair, make-up, and jewelry are standard. And now I am ready too. I open my mouth, take a deep breath and sing Carrie Underwood's "So Small":

What you got if you ain't got love?

The kind that you just wanna give away

It's okay to open up

Go ahead and let the light shine through

I know it's hard on a rainy day

You wanna shut the world out

And just be left alone

But don't run out on your faith

'Cause sometimes that mountain you've been climbing

Is just a grain of sand

And what you've been out there searching for forever

Is in your hands

And when you figure out

Love is all that matters after all

It sure makes everything else

Seem so small

It's so easy to get lost inside

A problem that seems so big at the time

It's like a river that's so wide

It swallows you whole

While you're sitting around thinking 'bout

what you can't change

And worrying about all the wrong things

Time's flying by, moving so fast

You better make it count 'cause you can't get it back

Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing

Is just a grain of sand

And what you've been out there searching for forever

Is in your hands

Oh, and when you figure out

Love is all that matters after all

It sure makes everything else

Seem so small

Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing

Is just a grain of sand

And what you've been out there searching for forever

Is in your hands

And then you figure out

Love is all that matters after all

It sure makes everything else

Oh, it sure makes everything else

Seem so small

**Troy's POV: **

As I listen to Brie, hear and see her sing these words that have been so very true for us these past two years, it takes my breath away. I look to Ms. Darbus to see her smiling. Brie voice is so big it nearly blows the roof off. She is completely caught up, swept up in the singing, in the music, in the lyrics. I am incredibly proud of her.

**Troy's POV: **

When Brie is done, my name is called. I meet her as she walks off the stage.

"You were great", I say quietly, kissing her quickly.

"Thanks", she says. "It was a pretty good surprise, wasn't it?"

"The best", I say. "Wait 'til you hear mine."

"Looking forward to it", she says, and then she goes to sit down in the seats next to Tay and Shar. I confirm with the band guys behind me-I pulled a few strings in the Jazz Band-and they're all ready. I open my mouth, take a deep breath, think of Brie, and sing Phillip Phillips "Gone, Gone, Gone":

When life leaves you high and dry

I'll be at your door tonight if you need help, if you need help

I'll shut down the city lights,

I'll lie, cheat, I'll beg and bribe to make you well, to make you well

When enemies are at your door I'll carry you way from more

If you need help, if you need help

Your hope dangling by a string

Ill share in your suffering to make you well, to make you well

Give me reasons to believe that you would do the same for me

And I would do it for you, for you

Baby I'm not moving on

I love you long after you're gone

For you, for you

You will never sleep alone

I love you long after you go

oh long after you're gone gone gone

When you fall like a statue

I'm gon' be there to catch you

Put you on your feet, you on your feet

And if your well is empty

Not a thing will prevent me

Tell me what you need, what do you need

I surrender honestly

You've always done the same for me

And I would do it for you, for you

Baby I'm not moving on

I love you long after you'r

For you, for you

You would never sleep alone

I love you long after you're gone

And long after you're gone gone gone

You're my back bone, you're me cornerstone

You're my crutch when my legs stop moving

You're my headstart, you're my rugged heart

You're the post that I've always needed

Like a drum baby don't stop beating

Like a drum baby don't stop beating

Like a drum baby don't stop beating

Like a drum my heart never stops beating

For you, for you

Baby I'm not moving on

I love you long after you're gone

For you, for you

You would never sleep alone

I love you long after you go

For you, for you

Baby I'm not moving on

I love you long after you're gone

For you, for you

You would never sleep alone

I love you long, long after you're gone

Like a drum baby don't stop beating

Like a drum baby don't stop beating

Like a drum baby don't stop beating

Like a drum my heart never stops beating for you

And long after you're gone gone gone

I love you long after you're gone gone gone

I hear people clapping and shouting. I see Ms. Darbus smiling. I see Brie smiling, too. When I get off the stage I go to sit next to her.

"That was awesome, Troy", she says, kissing my on the cheek.

"I was hoping you'd like it", I said.

"I did."

"Good."

Troy's POV: 

After a bunch of other kids audition-including Sharpay, who sings "Don't Rain on My Parade", Taylor, who sings, "Seasons of Love", and Chad, and Kelsi and Jason and Ryan and a bunch of our other friends-it's finally time or our pair auditions. Brie and I go first again, thanks to alphabetical order. We get up on stage, get our bearings again, confirm things with the band guys, and then we sing-underline for Brie, italics for Troy, choruses sang together; Darius Rucker's "True Believers":

Church bells ringing on our wedding day

Climbed in that limo and rode away

Guess you'll always hear some people say

They're never gonna make it.

We settled in and we settled down

In this quiet little seaside town

You were the rock I built my world around

And life won't ever break it

Chorus: 

We are one heartbeat in the darkness

We are one lasting answered prayer

We are one unbroken promise

We are two, True Believers

Verse:

It wasn't easy getting here today

Sometimes you stumbled or I lost my way

But every roadblock was a chance to say;

Take my hand I'm here beside you.

We worked and made it through the toughest parts

Now every days another chance to start,

To look around and see that where we are

Is where we were trying to get to

We are one heartbeat in the darkness

We are one lasting answered prayer

We are one unbroken promise

We are two, True Believers

We are one before our God in Heaven

We are one road when the going gets rough

We are one now and forever

We are one name, one life, one flame

We are one heartbeat in the darkness

We are one lasting answered prayer

We are one unbroken promise

and We are two, True Believers

We are two, True Believers

When we finish, I turn to Brie, she turns towards me. We kiss; it is the most beautiful thing.

"I love you", we say in union, surprising one another. We laugh together, wrap our arms around one another, and then go back to our seats.

Troy's POV: 

A week later, the official cast-list goes up. Brie literally pulls me over to look at it. Turns out, she gets the female lead and I got the male lead.

"Wow!" she exclaims. "Wow! I got it! I can't believe it." She looks to me, sees I'm not jumping in excitement the way she is, and says, "are you even excited, Troy? Are you even surprised?"

"Not one little bit", I say. "I knew you'd get it."

"Thanks", she says, leaning against me as I envelop her in my arms.

"Anytime, Pretty Girl", I say.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey, guys! **

**Thanks as always for your reviews for chapter 17! 'm glad you enjoyed it, I too have been liking these last couple of chapters to be light and sweet after all the heavy drama they've been having to go through. **

**It's always appreciated when people still put me on their Author Alert lists and everything-thanks for reading, everyone! **

**Enjoy chapter 18! **

**And, disclaimer: I DO NOT own HSM or any other songs, brands, TV shows, or restaurants mentioned in this chapter. **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 18

**Gabriella's POV: **

Musical auditions start the very next afternoon. Troy and I meet everyone in the auditorium. We do the typical introductions and then we get going learning the songs of the show. This takes up the next two hours or so and before we know it, it is already nearing 5:00. Troy and I quickly go to the grocery store to pick up something for supper. As we are driving home, I turn to Troy.

"Troy, hey?"

"Brie?"

"Is this OK? The musical?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, is it OK? With your dad? With basketball?"

"Oh." From the way Troy's voice got all flustered I can tell he hadn't yet thought about that. "I guess it'll have to be. The season doesn't even officially start for another couple of months."

"So, it'll be OK, then?"

"I guess so. If I have to, I'll get in a workout after musical practice; it doesn't really matter if the other guys workout before me."

"Troy, if this isn't going to work, you can back out, if you want-

"No. I made a promise to you-

"You made a promise to audition. You don't have to-

"I _want_ to, though, Brie. Listen to me: it'll be OK. And if participating in the musical means I get to spend more time with you, that's all good."

"You really are the perfect guy, you know that?"

"Yeah", Troy says, making me laugh. "I know."

And then we head on home.

**Troy's POV: **

A week or so later, I'm re-thinking this whole musical thing. I know I love hanging out with Brie, but I get to do that everyday of my life anyway. And I'm so tired after musical practice and my late basketball workout that when we get home, we don't do much together anyway. I eat supper as quickly as I can, help Brie clean up, and then start on my homework, and that's usually around 7:30 or eight. Most nights, I fall into bed late, at around midnight or later, long after Brie has drifted off to dreamland.

And besides, my father wasn't exactly pleased with me. He was more OK with it, though, knowing I had done it for Brie; he didn't know I was also kind of doing it for myself, too.

"Brie, listen-" I try to say one afternoon in late September. "I don't know if-

"Can you believe it? Check out our awesome ending scene, Troy", Brie says. "Isn't it awesome?"

"Yeah, Breezy", I say, swallowing the conversation I was dreading anyway. "Awesome."

**Gabriella's POV: **

The last weekend in September, Troy and I decided to hang out in Liberty Park, the same park we hung out at last year, when Troy and Chad and Tay and Shar tried my cane and blindfold. It has grown slightly colder in the last couple of weeks, so I'm dressed in distressed medium-wash skinny jeans with a thick brown leather belt, a simple gray pull-over sweater, my Mike and Christ leather hoodie in the pewter/beige color, and my cream/beige oxfords with crochet detailing. My hair's left down, curly, and my make-up and jewelry are simple and pretty. Troy wears jeans, a blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and his white tennis shoes.

Troy and I decided to bring a picnic lunch and just hang out somewhere that isn't our apartment or our parent's houses. We bring our picnic basket and a large blanket, spread our bounty out and sit down next to each other. We eat and talk, taking our time with the sandwiches and the fruit and the salad, and then after a while we lay side-by-side on the blanket, holding hands, in comfortable silence with one another. The sun is warm on my face and I feel myself start to drift off.

"You're worried about something, aren't you, Troy?" I ask after a while.

'Yeah, honey, I am", Troy says a after a long silence. "How did you know that? You're half asleep. You're not even looking at me."

"Hey!" I say lazily, in mock protest. "I don't need to look at you to know something's bothering you. So, spill."

"OK, OK", Troy says, sitting up. He takes hold of my hand, I sit up too. "It's the musical", he finally says.

"It's a lot, huh? To balance everything?"

"Well, yeah, but I-

"Don't worry about disappointing me", I say. "Just the fact that you're doing all of this, for me, it's OK."

"But it's for me, too, though. You know that, right? I'm not faking any of this."

"Oh, I know you're not. I learned a long time ago that you're not the faking kind of guy. If you were, you wouldn't have stuck by me, that's for sure."

"I _love_ you, Gabriella."

"I know. I know you do. I love you, too. So much."

"It's just a lot."

"I know. Like I said, you can back out if you want. You don't have to do this."

"I want to. And I will. We will. I just couldn't handle the pressure of trying to be perfect anymore. If you think about it, Breezy, I'm actually pretty weak."

"You are most definitely not weak", I say, wrapping my arms around Troy's shoulders. "You're the strongest person I know. Literally", I add, and we laugh.

"Well, thanks for that, but you do the 'perfect' act so much better than I do."

"Hey, now, I so do not. Think of all the times I've crumbled in your arms. I've even had panic attacks! I'm not perfect, trust me."

"You are to me", Troy says quietly, and I lean over and kiss him on the mouth for that. After that, Troy wraps me up, bring me with him as we lay back down on the blanket. We lay together, listening to the sounds of nature, of children laughing, of people talking. Nothing more needs to be said.

**Troy's POV: **

"Thought I'd find you here."

Brie's voice startles me. I get up from where I'm doing the bench press in the workout room at East High. It is seven o'clock in the morning, a few days after our Saturday in the park. How'd she know I was here?"

"How'd you know I was here?" I ask.

"I had a hunch", she says, coming over to sit next to me. We're the only two in the room. The whole school is especially quiet.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. Plus", she says, "you left this note for me."

"Give myself away, did I?" I say, and we laugh. "I just thought I'd workout in the morning, instead of waiting until after musical practice. Metabolism and all of that."

"They say compromise is the key to marriage", Brie offers.

"They'd be right, wouldn't they?"

"They would."

"What are _you_ doing here, Breezy? At seven in the morning. Besides coming to say hey to me, I mean."

"I thought I'd get some studying done in the library. They open it this early, you know."

"Brie. Please. You've done all the studying you can possibly do."

"Hey! I have not! There's that paper due next week for History, which, by the way, you should get started on, and that project for science..." Her voice trails off. She smiles at me. "But, really I just came to see you."

"You did", I say, ad then I kiss her.

"Oh! Oh! Sorry!" We suddenly hear Chad exclaim. "I-I didn't mean to intrude." That makes us laugh.

"It's a public workout room", I say. "We should-

"Learn to keep our PDA to a minimum?" Brie offers, getting up. "Yeah. Listen, I'll just go to the library, I was going there anyway, so-

"Brie, wait", I say, grabbing her hand.

"Yeah, wait, G. It's OK. That you're all couple-y. I mean, you're married. You're kind of entitled."

"Well, in that case", Brie says playfully, sitting back down. She kisses me, and Chad looks away, embarrassed. "Just kidding", she says. "I'll go to the library now, for real. Let Troy, both of you, get back to your workouts."

"_Thank you_", Chad says with such emphasize that we all laugh.

"See you in homeroom, guys", Brie says,

"Bye, G", Chad calls.

"Bye, Breezy", I say, and then Chad closes the door. He turns to me.

"Your wife is something else, you know that?"

"Yeah", I say, smiling like the married, imperfect, idiot I am. "She sure is."


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey, lovely readers! **

**Sorry for the long stretch of nothingness; I was busy with finals and the holidays and then I entered my manuscript in a big contest. Keep your fingers crossed for me, guys, and send out good thoughts if you want! **

**Also, I've entered the Seventeen fiction contest hosted by Figment, another writing site kind of like our lovely FanFiction! You guys can help me by "heart-ing" my story, called Through My Eyes, which literally means clicking the little button with the red heart on it-whoever gets the most "hearts" by February 13 wins, so any help from you guys would be much appreciated! **

**I've been thinking of Troy and Brie, of course, all the time, when I'm not thinking about Arthur and Guinevere from the BBC show, Merlin. If you follow me on Twitter then you already know that. Have you guys seen that show? So cool and adorable and awesome! Merlin, I mean. **

**Speaking of which, I DO NOT own Merlin or High School Musical or Taylor Swift's music, or any other brands or things I mention in this chapter. Just wanted to clear that up. **

**Well, guys, thanks so much for reading my writing, it means the world to me. Enjoy chapter 19! **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

**Gabriella's POV: **

The weeks go fast when October comes. We are busy, our live are full with school and the musical, with Troy's basketball, with my reading with Emma. We divide the rest of the time between our friends and family, plus time for Troy and I to just hang out at home, which isn't often.

When we do hang out, though, it mainly consists of me singing along to my iPod-Taylor Swift, anyone?-while I do homework and Troy cooks supper or whatever. Sometimes we watch TV together, I make Troy watch One Tree Hill and Merlin with me. He pretends to be opposed to it, of course, but I've caught a smile in his voice every now and then. Not that he'd ever admit it, of course!

For the most part, things are OK. We're tired, rushing around from one thing to the next, but we're a good kind of tired. a happy kind of tired. It makes the moments we do have with one another that much more precious.

Little did we know, however, all that happiness would become strained, due to a piece of my past I had mistakenly thought was over.

**Troy's POV: **

It is a regular Wednesday in late October. We are all huddled by my locker, and Brie's, we being me, Brie,Ted. Tay, Shar, Chad, Zeke, Kelsi, everyone. We are all talking at once, in a flurry of conversation about everything and nothing, in only the way teenagers can. There are about ten stories going on at one time; I am listening to Ted talk about something that happened to him in middle school when we are all interrupted by a stranger entering our circle. He is male, with pale skin and dark hair, with the blackest eyes I've ever seen. His presence forces all conversation to a halt. We all stand around, wondering waiting. Finally he says:

"Hello, Gabriella."

And when he does, Brie's eyes go wide with fright, panic flashing across her face. She stumbles backwards until she runs into me. I hold her arms to steady her, enveloping her.

"Who-who are you?" Brie asks, her voice shaking slightly.

"Why, Gabriella, I'm offended", the boy says. "Pity you wouldn't remember your old friend Matt Denosen."

"You were never my friend and you know it", Brie says, her voice clipped.

"Now, is that really a way to speak to your old boyfriend?"

I am surprised, but hope I don't show it.

Brie laughs bitterly. "You were never my boyfriend", she says.

"I wasn't? Because it seems like I was-" Matt steps closer to Brie, and feeling that presence, she tries to step back, turning her face away.

"You weren't", she says. "You know what you did." She feels for my hand. "Let's go, Troy", Brie says and I know what she means and I lead her away from the group.

**Troy's POV: **

Away from our friends and the mysterious Matt Denosen, Brie and I stand in the hallway. I wait for her to talk.

"He wasn't my boyfriend", she says to me. "He never was. I never wanted him to be."

"What was he, then?" I ask carefully, quietly.

"He was..." Brie's voice trails off and she doesn't say anything for a minute or two. "You'll be mad", she finally says, her voice thick with emotion.

"I won't be", I assure her. "I know you've had relationships before me. I know I had relationships before you."

"I haven't, though!" Brie says. "What Matt thought was a relationship was..."

"What, Brie? What was it?"

"He-

"He what, Breezy? What did Matt do?"

"I can't tell you."

"You can. Sweetheart, you can trust me. We're a team. Husband and wife. We can tell each other anything, can't we?"

"Yes", Brie says.

"You can tell me this too", I say softly, and that makes tears well up in Brie's eyes.

"You'll be mad", she says again.

"I won't be. I promise."

Brie takes a big, shaky breath. "He hurt me", she finally says, and I feel as though I've been punched in the stomach.

"_What?_"

"See!" Brie exclaims. "I told you you'd be mad!"

'This is not about me being mad, Gabriella", I say. "This is about your safety. I'm gonna go give this guy a piece of my mind-

"Don't!" Brie shouts at me now.

"Don't?" I ask. "I shouldn't go defend you against a guy that caused you physical harm?"

"No", Brie says. "Just-I don't want you doing anything rash."

"And why not?"

"Because-because maybe it was a one-time thing."

"You have too much faith in people, Brie", I say.

"And that's a bad thing?"

"No. It's one of things I love most about you. You know that. Just, in this particular case, I think we should-

"I'm the one it happened to, Troy", Brie says. "Shouldn't I get a say?"

"Of course-

"Then I say we don't do anything. Let's just...leave it. Maybe he's changed."

"With the way the fear appeared on your face when you heard his voice, I highly doubt it", I say dryly.

We stand there for a second, looking at one another.

"He won't hurt you again", I finally say.

"I know", Brie says quickly. "I know that." She leans in to hug me and I hug her back.

"We're going to be all right."

Brie nods against my shirt. "I know", she says again. "With you, things always are."

**Taylor's POV: **

Seeing Troy and Gabriela hug after a heated conversation, I turn to Matt, who has managed to cause a problem in the first few minutes of his arrival.

"So, how do you know Gabriella?" Matt asks nicely.

"I'm her best friend", I say warily, my voice guarded and careful. "How do _you_ know her?"

"I'm her boyfriend", Matt says, and I want to laugh, looking at Troy and El together over in the corner, at the ridiculous notion that someone other than Troy could hold her heart. But I don't. Laugh, I mean. I'm too on edge. "And that guy over there, with her now, who's that?" Matt asks.

"That would be Gabriella's husband", Troy says, forcing his way back into the circle, with Ella in tow. Matt looks to me with wide eyes. I want to jump up and down or scream or _something_, for having a best friend with a husband this fantastic.

"You've got to be joking", Matt says, laughing. When no one says anything to counter his statement, he turns to me again. "You knew and didn't say anything?"

"You didn't ask", I fire back. "And, besides, my best friend's marriage is no more of your business than it is mine."

At that point, the bells rings, long and shrill, signaling the start of fifth block in about two minutes. Matt looks down to his rumpled schedule, and brightens.

He says: "It looks like I've got science with you, Gabriella!"

"Great", El says dryly. "How did you know when I have science?"

"I looked up your file on the administrative computer", Matt says.

"God!" El sputters. "What gave you the right to do that?" Ella looked really freaked out. I don't offer that Troy did the same thing on her very first day at East High. Because it's Troy we're talking about. It had been a sweet gesture, then. Now, we're facing a boy who did something bad to Ella that only she knows about, and it doesn't sound so sweet anymore. She looks as though she might actually cry. Matt saunters towards the classroom. "I hate him", Ella says now, glancing up at Troy, where he stands holding her hand.

"Me too", Troy offers and they look at each other for a long moment before heading off to class.

**Troy's POV: **

When we get to the classroom, we set down our books. I glance at Matt warily. When class starts, our teacher, Mr. Kurtz, announces Matt's arrival.

"Class, we have a new student joining us today, Matt Denosen. Matt why don't you sit...over there, next to Mrs. Bolton."

"Great!" Matt says. "Right next to my favorite girl."

"Shut up!" Brie yells then, and the whole class falls silent.

"Gabriella!" Mr. Kurtz says in a scolding tone.

"I'm sorry, but-

"But nothing. That is no way to speak to a student, especially one just joining our class. Now, I'm going to have to ask you to go to the principal's office."

"What?" Brie says, her voice high and squeaky.

"You heard me", Mr. Kurtz says.

"But Mr. Kurtz, Matt, he-

"I won't hear it, Gabriella. You behaved disrespectfully towards our new student, and I asked you to go see Principal Masters. Now, go."

"Mr. Kurtz-

"Go, Gabriella. Now."

Brie stands up, literally shaking. She just stands there for a second, probably growing more aware of all the eyes on her.

I finally say, "She'll need an escort."

"Isn't that normally your job, Troy?" Mr. Kurtz asks in a mocking tone that makes me want to smack him.

"Yes, normally it is", I say, biting back a retort. "But today it isn't. Today I'm going to talk to you."

Mr. Kurtz sighs. "Who cares to escort Gabriella to the office?"

"I'll do it", a girl named Andrea says nicely.

"_Thank _you, Andrea", Mr. Kurtz says.

"Come on, Gabriella", Andrea offers pleasantly and the two of them leave the room.

At that moment, I stride up to Mr. Kurtz's desk.

"Look, Mr. Kurtz-

"If you come to talk to me concerning your wife, I'm sorry Mr. Bolton, the punishment stands-

"I'm here to talk about Gabriella, yes, about how she-she doesn't deserve this!"

"She doesn't? The girl who yelled "shut up" at our new student doesn't deserve to be reprimanded?"

"You know as well as I do that Gabriella is good. She'd never do something like this. She only did just now because-

"I won't hear it, Mr. Bolton. Husband or not, you're in no position to-

"He hurt her, Mr. Kurtz. Matt Denosen hurt Gabriella."

"When?" Mr. Kurtz asks carefully, his voice low.

"I-I don't know. A long time ago, I guess", I say. "And-

"And nothing-

"If you would you just _listen_ to me-

"Look, Troy", Mr. Kurtz says, sighing. "I'm sorry. But unless I have a note from a parent/teacher/counselor, you have no proof."

"Gabriella told me, like, two minutes ago-

"Two minutes ago was when she yelled at Matt. Mr. Bolton."

"Oh, you know what I mean!" I yell. I'm shaking, I'm so angry. I'm causing a huge scene, I know, and I don't care in the slightest. "Mr. Kurtz, come on! Matt Denosen hurt, I repeat, _hurt_ Gabriella, and I won't stand for him to-

"Mr. Bolton!" Mr. Kurtz finally exclaims. "Would you like to join your wife in the office? Because you're getting awfully close to being reprimanded as well-

"You know what? I would like to join my wife in the office", I snap at him. I then grab my books, and Brie's, and leave the room, fuming.

**Troy's POV: **

When I get to the office, I see Brie and Andrea awkwardly standing by the main desk.

"I've got it from here, Andrea", I say, and the relief that fills Brie's face when she hears my voice makes my throat tighten. Andrea leaves and Brie folds into me, her whole body going limp for a few seconds in my arms.

"It's going to be OK", I say, repeating my same words from earlier, hoping they can still stand to be true.

**Gabriella's POV: **

It is finally lunch time; it feels as though this day has gone on forever. The hour we spent with Principal Masters, yelling and screaming, didn't help matters much, either. We are guarded now, feeling defeated. Our friends peer at us through worried eyes and yet we say nothing. Troy is in the middle of telling me about my lunch-"baked chicken at 2:00, peas at 6:00, pasta salad at 8:00, and pudding at 10:00, Breezy"-when Matt joins our group again. I know because I can literally feel his presence, and it makes me afraid. I grip Troy's hand.

"What are you doing here?" I say quietly, my voice edged with a mix of anger and fear.

"I was about to ask you the same thing, Gabriella", Matt says. "What was all that talk about 6:00 and 10:00? We learned to tell time in, what, second grade?"

"We weren't telling time", I snap at him.

"I was telling Gabriella where her food items were on her plate", Troy explains patiently, his voice equally guarded and careful.

"Why?" Matt asks.

"Because I'm _blind_ now", I say angrily, and Troy says, "Look, Breezy-

"Blind?" Matt repeats.

"Yeah, blind", I say. "You know, not-seeing? Darkness? The whole works."

I feel Troy's hand on my back to calm me.

"Well, then", Matt says finally, his voice smiling, cheerful. "I guess it's good our love is one that focuses on personality and not looks, isn't it?" He pats my hand, probably doesn't hear me mutter something. He walks way then, thankfully, and I turn to Troy, having felt ugly and small in Matt's presence.

I wanted to dump my lunch on him. I'd hated that he'd said that.


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey, hey, lovely readers! **

**I am so, so, so, so sorry for the lack of updates for this story. Seriously, you guys, I really am. I got started with a new story, Arthur and Guinevere: A Love Which Brings Light, which is based on the ever-popular and super-adorable BBC show, Merlin that I mentioned a while ago. That story is quite similar to this one in terms of cute, romantic couples so I'm sure you guys will like it. **

**Thanks for supporting me and my writing, you guys. It really does mean the world to me. **

**Enjoy chapter 20! **

**And oh yeah: I don't own HSM or any restaurants, brands, or TV shows mentioned in this chapter. I down own the character of Matt Denosen, though, and all of the events about him and Gabriella are totally fictional. **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 20

**Troy's POV:**

After school that day, driving home, I finally say it.

"Gabriella, what happened between you and Matt Denosen?"

"Do we have to talk about this? I told you, he-

"Yes we do have to talk about this. Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Do you think I ever wanted to? 'Oh, hey, husband, I'm going to tell you about the guy who hurt me'", Brie says sarcastically, not looking at me. "Yeah, I'm sure that would've gone over real well."

"You know I hate when you get like this, snappish and mean." Hurt flashes across Brie's face as I say this, but I plunge on, anyway, angry that after all this time this is still something she's keeping from me. "Do you have to get defensive like this? It wasn't your fault."

"You're right, it wasn't," Brie says sourly. "Which is why I've got absolutely nothing to say about it."

With that, she gets out of the car, slams the door, and walks up the steps to the apartment, leaving me sitting there, wondering.

_ What did Matt _do_? _

And more importantly, what was I going to do about it?

**Gabriella's POV: **

Troy and I walk on eggshells around for the rest of the night, all because I blew up at him because he was trying to help me. I am really the worst person sometimes, you know that? And the worst part of this is, Troy was right. It wasn't my fault, I've got nothing to be angry about. So why am I? Angry, I mean. I've no idea. All those feelings I had shut away came rushing back the second I heard Matt's voice. I was doing a pretty poor job of dealing with them, wasn't I?

It was humiliating, certainly, what Matt did to me back then; I wish it hadn't happened at all. Tears well in my eyes thinking that, smearing beneath my lashes. All the times I tried to run away from things, to go deeper into myself, the way I did with my depression, the way I used to do as a little kid, saying, "I don't want to think about it," none of it worked. Reality always caught up with me eventually. It was of sour taste, usually, but this issue with Matt tasted especially bitter, and wrong and horrible in my mouth and my brain when I started to form the words. What had happened with him was something I wanted desperately to forget, and the reality of the situation kept tugging at me. That's why I couldn't tell Troy. I honestly wasn't sure how. And, more importantly, I wasn't sure I wanted to learn how.

If that makes me stubborn, then, fine. Whatever. That's gotten me places thus far, hasn't it? And who says I should be happy about this, anyway? I finally got what I wanted: a wonderful man to love and support me, a great group of close friends, stability, security, acceptance. Why would I want to mess that up by dredging my past from the shadows?

Answer: I don't.

But I think I have to.

**Troy's POV: **

Brie comes to me at about 11:00 PM, to where I am in the living room, from where she was in the bedroom. She curls up beside me on the couch, snuggling into me. I wrap an arm around her, knowing that she's sorry.

"I'm sorry," she says softly. "I didn't mean to-

"I know," I say, kissing the top of her head. "I know you're sorry. I am too, I shouldn't have-

"You should not be sorry," she says, pulling back and sitting across from me on the couch. I sit up too, take one of her hands in mine.

"And why is that?"

"Because you were right," she says. Her tone is calm now, accepting, relenting. I wait for her to continue. "I don't have to be all defensive, or mean, like I was-

"I shouldn't have said that. I was angry and-

"I sometimes hate how perfect you think I am, you know that?" Brie says then, surprising me.

"What? Why?"

"Because then my 'perfect' score totally plummets when I freak out like I did in the car. I'm not perfect, none of us are, I just...love you and that's it."

"I love you too," I say, smiling. "You make it seem so simple."

"Who do you think I learned it from?"

In response to that, I lean in and kiss Brie fiercely on the mouth. She kisses me with just as much passion, but then pulls back, her hands on my chest. Her face clouds over and I know the fun and light stuff is over.

"Matt hurt me," she finally says.

**Gabriella's POV: **

Bearing my soul to Troy should feel good, better, but it is torture sitting here telling him things that make him hug me so hard I can barely breathe.

"It was when we lived in Florida, before LA, before here," I start slowly, holding tightly onto Troy's hand, still seated on the couch next to him. "It was the second or third day of the school-year when I first met Matt. He sat across from me in my history class and we were assigned a project to work on about a month into the semester.

"I remember he came over to my house after school with me to work on it. We ate cookies and talked about George Washington. He was perfectly nice, then. Or at least, that's what I thought. We worked on the project; he smiled at me a lot, in a creepy way, not in the awesome way you did first day of sophomore year.

Troy says nothing about this. He grips my hand tighter and I keep talking. "He wanted to go on a date with me and I said no when he tried to kiss me at the end of the night. He didn't like that. After that, he was mean. He started coming around my locker. He would never say anything, he would just stand there, looking down at me. He started following me everywhere, to my classes, to my locker, to the cafeteria. It was totally intimidating.

"When I tried to talk to him, reason with him, to get him to stop, he wouldn't. No response at all. That was scary for me. I was 14, for goodness sake!

"After about six months of that, my parents had had enough. I told them everything from the beginning, of course, but begged them to hold off on any sort of punishment, thinking it was a one-time thing."

"The same thing you said to me," Troy says quietly.

I nod. Troy leans forward, smooths my hair back.

"Mom and Dad went to the principal, who was very kind and totally with me on the situation. She talked to Matt, too, but it didn't help much. He laid low after that, for a while, and I honestly thought things were good, then. I was wrong, though," I say, tears coming up my throat. "Because out of the blue, it started again. He started following me, staring at me, being all intimidating and creepy. I begged him to stop. I threatened to take larger action than going to the school principal. The day he pushed me into a locker and down to the ground, I had had enough.

"I was crying, of course. Hideously crying, huge tears and sobs and everything. Walking home was difficult that day, and for many afterward. Not just because of the pain-of which there was a lot, then it eventually subsided-but because of the fear that Matt would come and grab me again.

"Luckily, it was the end of the school-year by then, making it a logical idea to move, making it so no one had to know it was anything other than for a job. My father had the opportunity to go to LA-to a suburb outside the city, actually; in Florida, we'd lived in Miami, so we all thought a suburb might be safer, might make this not happen again-so that's where we went. We didn't tell anyone, so Matt wouldn't have the opportunity to follow us, which is what he said he'd do when he figured it out.

"'I'll find you', he said. And I guess he finally did." My voice is wobbly, threatening to succumb to the tears.

I try to pull myself together, but I end up unraveling instead.

"I can't", I say helplessly, the tears sliding down my cheeks now. "I can't go back to that place. I can't have him...being here."

Troy brings me to him, his hand on the back of my head, smoothing my hair to soothe me.

"He can't hurt you here", he says. "He won't ever hurt you again."

I cry and cry for a long time.

I'm literally shaking. It's after midnight. We should both go to bed. Maybe that would help me calm down.

"I love you, I love you," I say desperately after a while.

"I know, I know you do," Troy says gently, holding me tighter. "I love you too, Brie. I love you so much."

I take that to mean everything, because it always and usually does.

"We'll get through this," Troy finally says. "I know we will."

I want so badly to believe him, because with Troy, with our marriage, we've conquered so many things. I'd like to be all, "who says we can't conquer this, too?" but I can't. At least not with 100% certainty. Because this is dangerous. Because this is a piece from my past I had thought was over. Because I'm not sure what Matt will do, or what he is capable of, and that scares me. As much as I love Troy, I hate Matt just as much. I've never hated anyone before.

The good thing, and the only thing I know, is that love always beats hate and fear. I'm hoping that can stand to be true now. It has to be. It just has to.


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey, hey, lovely readers! **

**Thank you so, so much for the reviews for chapter 20! Much appreciated! Can you guys believe we're almost to a hundred reviews for Perfectly Clear? That's pretty amazing, if you ask me. **

**I'm going to try and alternate between this story and Arthur and Guinevere: A Love Which Brings Light, so be on the look out for an update for for my A/G story soon, too. Hopefully I'll be able to keep both stories going at a good pace for you guys so I don't end up leaving and leaving you for months and months with no updates. I'm really, really sorry I keep doing that. **

**Again, I'm on Twitter: Taylorjae15. Follow me if you want! **

**Are there any good T/G FanFics you guys would recommend? I'm on the lookout for some good, super-cute Troyella ones! **

**As usual: I don't own HSM, or any songs, restaurants, or brands used in this chapter. **

**Thanks again for reading, guys! Enjoy chapter 21! **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 21

**Gabriella's POV: **

The next day at school, I'm all jumpy, nervous, scared that Matt is out to ambush me again. Troy, luckily, picks up on this and helps me out with that, always being there in the way he always is. He's always holding me hand, his arm always around my waist. I always feel safe when he's around.

The next few days go OK, albeit slowly. Troy and I are vigilant, on edge. I can feel Troy sometimes turn around, looking over his shoulder. Sometimes I can feel him turn us another direction when we're walking together, as if Matt was there and he was veering the two of us away from him. People ask us what's wrong and we can't tell them. Make that: we don't tell them.

Things go OK for so many days that I begin to feel better. I let myself relax the slightest bit.

It turns out, though, that the instant Troy is not around is when I will end up needing him the most.

**Gabriella's POV: **

It's after school, around 3:00, on a Monday in early November. Basketball practice has been going for a solid half hour now, while I've been studying in the library with Taylor and Sharpay. They know what's been going on-we let our close friends know that, basically, Matt was a bad guy we needed to look out for and keep away from me-and were reluctant to even let me go into the hallway by myself. But I convinced them I'd be fine. After all, it's not like Matt would be out here, waiting for me...would he?

I shove the fear aside-this will literally take two seconds, I think, but then again I thought that about grabbing my notebook from the auditorium and then the fire happened, so what do I know?-and push open the heavy double-doors of the library to step out into the hallway. It's vacant. I can hear the sound of basketballs bouncing, the boys' shoes squeaking on the gym floor, shouts from the players and the coaches, the shrill blow of the whistle. Still, my shoes sound loud on the floor, if not louder than my heart beating in my chest, along with the swish-smack of my cane, of course. I near my locker, open it using my combination, and grab my book, when suddenly I hear footsteps coming toward me, fast.

"Taylor?" I guess, knowing it isn't her, but asking anyway. "Sharpay?" I guess helplessly next.

"Think again," a deep voice says, making me freeze in fear. Matt.

"What are you doing?" I manage to squeak out.

"What you want," he says, and then he slams me against my open locker, scratching my back so harshly I cry out in pain. My body against the locker makes it close with a bang. Matt takes the history book I'm holding and throws it to the floor, where it lands with a thud.

"I don't want this," I say now, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "I never wanted this."

"You can tell yourself that as many times as you want. But the truth, it remains," Matt says, his breath hot on my face. I've never felt more disgusted in my entire life. I try to jerk away from him, but he grabs my face and holds it in his hand, hard; I get worried about that after a while.

"Let me go," I say, trying to move my shoulders forward. But he holds me fast in his grip against the locker.

"You know, Brie, you were always stubborn," Matt says.

"Don't call me Brie!" I exclaim then, awfully close to crying. "That's _Troy's_ name for me!"

"Ah, yes, Troy, the annoying husband you say you're happily married to."

"That's because I am," I say now. "Don't you listen at all?"

"I did listen," Matt says innocently. "I listened to all your friends' stories."

"And the part about Troy, my husband, the person I'm with 95% of the time? What about that?"

"I ignored that part," Matt says.

"I'll bet you did," I mutter dryly under my breath.

That makes him mad. He suddenly moves closer to me than he already is, making the spot on my back get scratched twice. That makes tears well in my eyes again, a couple roll down my cheek. He pins my hands behind my back. It's when he starts to get near my face again that I let out a scream, and start to call Troy's name, hoping with all my might that he'll hear me.

**Chad's POV: **

It is in a two-second lull in our routine afternoon basketball practice that I hear it: someone, a girl, is screaming. I listen again, and it sounds like Troy's name. I run out into the hallway, and there she is, Gabriella, pinned against a locker and Matt holding her head. She is crying.

"Troy! Troy!" I am shouting along with El as I run back to the gym. When I get there, Troy is startled to see me upset "It's G," I say, and he runs right out of there, ignoring everything else. I follow him. When he gets there, he looks aghast at the sight of Matt pinning G up against a locker.

"Stop! Stop!" Troy yells. He screams it, actually. I've never seen Troy so upset, I've never heard him scream like that before. He literally pulls Matt off of G, leaving El to practically fall into my arms. She's shaking.

"It's Chad, G," I say quietly, and she buries her head in my chest. I put a hand over her head to comfort her. Troy keeps hold of Matt for a few feet until he jerks out of Troy's grip and runs out of East High. Troy watches him run, looks back to El, looks to me, unsure if he should run after Matt or comfort his wife, wanting to hurt and heal all at once.

"We've got it, Troy," I hear a voice say, and I turn to see Ted and a couple other guys on the basketball team standing there. "It's Matt, isn't it?" When Troy nods, Ted says, "We've got it. C'mon, guys. We'll make sure he doesn't come near El again."

"Thank you," Troy says and he watches them walk down the hall before turning back to me and G.

**Chad's POV: **

"Brie," Troy says now, quietly. She lifts her head from my shirt. She turns to him. He holds her face gently, so very differently from the way Matt had her in his grasp. "Hey, can you talk to me? Tell me what you're feeling?"

"i don't want to go to the hospital," she says, offering her wrists for us to see. They are black and blue, turning darker every second, surely bruised, surely going to swell up. A lot.

"Dear God, Gabriella," Troy starts to say, catching his breath.

"Don't call me Gabriella!" El says, upset again. Some tears slip down her face.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, honey," Troy says, smoothing her hair to soothe her. "I didn't mean to make you upset."

"So will we? Have to go to the hospital?" El asks after a second or two in a quiet voice.

"I don't know. Your wrists look bad, sweetie, really bruised-

"We could go see the school nurse," I suggest then. "I bet she's still here. She stays late on Mondays."

"Let's do that," El says, and so Troy carefully helps turn her in the direction of the nurse's office, drawing a breath when he feels her wince when his hand brushes against her back. He pushes past it though and we all go to the nurse's office.

**Troy's POV: **

"Thank you," I say to Chad as we're standing in the school nurse's office. Brie's been given some ice packs for her wrists. She winced, tried to turn away when nurse Julie tried to press them on the bruises, but then they soothed the pain.

"Keep the pressure applied for a good few hours, if you can," she told both of us. "It'll help to minimize the swelling."

"Got it," I said.

"If it doesn't go down in the next few days, let me know, alright?"

"Sure," I had said. "Thank you."

"Yeah, thanks, Julie," Brie said, standing up.

"No problem, honey," she had said, trying, like me, to smile and failing to do so.

"No problem," Chad says then. "It's El. It's you. It's you guys." I try to smile at that, don't quite make it. "And if it's Matt you're worried about, which I know is the main concern, me and Ted and the guys could kind of...patrol the apartment, be a barrier, make sure he doesn't go near it."

"That would be great," I say gratefully. I had already been wondering how I was going to handle that. Brie was probably more freaked out than ever. This way I could stay with her and have someone else taking care of the security of our place.

"We'll get him, Troy," Chad says as we walk out of East High. "He won't hurt El again."

"Let's hope so," I murmur. Once already he had harmed her, when I was a mere few feet away and I hadn't been able to stop it. Who says I would be able to stop it if it ever happened again? Looking down at Brie, thinking about that, it all made me feel like someone had punched me.

The worst of it, though, is when we're home for the night, getting ready for bed. I lift up Brie's shirt gently, to reveal a dark red, raw bruise on her back. She winces, pulls away again when I try to touch it.

"Don't, please," she says, and so I don't.

We're both in bed. I am shaking I'm so angry at what Matt did. With Brie shaking beside me, I know what we're both thinking about. And even when Chad and Ted down there keeping watch for Matt, neither of us falls asleep for a long, long time.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey, lovely readers! **

**Thank you for your awesome reviews for chapter 21! We're past 100! That is so incredible. Thank you so, so much. Another milestone in my book, totally. **

**I'm glad many of you recommended they call the cops. Don't worry, that's coming. **

**Oh, and as usual: I do not own HSM, nor do I own any brands, restaurants, songs or otherwise in this chapter. **

**Thanks again for reading and enjoy chapter 22! **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 22

**Gabriella's POV: **

I awake the next morning, groggy and tired and frustrated. Actually, I wake up to the rustling of the ice-packs on my wrists-Troy secured them there with a loose hair tie. I notice now he slipped one beneath my back and am surprised I didn't feel it there before. I mean, I barely got any sleep, surely I would've noticed sooner than six AM.

But no. It's six in the morning and I've awakened for the fourth time in five hours. Well that's it, like it or not, I'm up for the day. I rub my eyes tiredly, exhausted already, the day not even hardly started yet. I roll to my other side, feel for Troy like I always do and am surprised to find his side of the bed cold and empty. I sit up, and call, "Troy?"

'Yeah, Brie," Troy says, his voice nearing the bed. "I'm here." He sits on the edge of the bed, takes my hand in his. "I was looking out the window. I couldn't sleep."

"You too, huh?" I imagine him nodding his head.

"Do you feel up for going to school today?" Troy asks me now. "Because if you're not, if you want to sleep for a couple more hours, I can call the school and tell them-

I shake my head. "I don't want to miss the whole day. Even if we're both tired, we shouldn't just not go."

"I didn't mean it like that. We have reasonable cause."

"I know, I know we do," I say. "But that would mean the whole Matt thing coming out into the open and I'm not-I'm not ready for that yet."

Troy smoothes my hair, kisses the top of my head. "It doesn't have to mean that," he says. "I mean, my father knows. If we really did want to stay here and sleep for a few hours, I could call him, and he'd alert Principal Masters, without having to reveal any information we're not ready to give yet."

"Well, considering we both didn't sleep hardly at all last night," I start to say, and them am unsure. "Would it really be OK?"

"It really would," Troy says nicely, making me smile the tiniest bit. "It wouldn't mean much on our records, especially if we only miss one or two classes. We could come back for history, right before lunch. That still gives us almost three hours to sleep and get ready. How does that sound?"

"That sounds good," I say drowsily, already laying back and pulling the covers over myself, curling into a ball.

"I think so too," Troy says, kissing my forehead. "Let me call my father. We'll need to re-up your ice-packs, too. They're melting."

"Sure thing," I say, already half-asleep, safe in the knowledge that Troy will take care of me.

**Chad's POV: **

I am glad to see Troy and El back at school in the lunchroom with the rest of our group; I heard from Kelsi they came to History the block before this-though I wasn't surprised in the least when they failed to show at the start of the school-day. I knew they both probably hadn't slept well after what had happened; I myself heard El awake, screaming from a nightmare at around two AM.

"How are you guys today?" I ask quietly in the post-lunch, pre-class rush, when I've got a moment alone with them.

"We're OK. Tired and scared, but OK," El says, and I love her for her optimism. I know Troy does too. He wraps an arm around her shoulder at her answer, carefully, so as not to brush against the bruise on her back. I thought about that all night. I look down to see ice-packs still secured to both of El's wrists, and am worried that the swelling has yet to go down.

"How did it go watching the apartment last night?" Troy asks now, jolting me from thought. "You didn't-

"We didn't see him, not once. Believe me, you'd be the first notified if he had, if we ever do."

"You'll keep doing it? Keep watching our place?"

"Well, yeah," I say, surprised that Troy's even asking this. "Until the threat is non-existent, until Matt isn't around you guys anymore, we'll keep watching the apartment."

"Thank you, seriously, Chad," Troy says. "Thanks for this. I felt so guilty when I stayed home this morning and you guys trudged to school after being up all night. I just thought-if Brie were to need anything-

"Hey!" G says in protest, turning to her husband. "Troy, you could've totally gone to school had you wanted to this morning. Don't let me be your excuse."

"I just thought I should stay with you-

"And I love you for that, really I do, but don't deny it: I know you needed that sleep as much as I did. Don't feel guilty about it."

"Yeah, Troy," I say now. "Don't feel guilty. I wasn't even up that late anyway. Until, like three maybe-

Troy winces, but I keep talking.

"We took shifts. We camped out in sleeping bags. It was all good. And besides, it's you guys. Don't worry about it."

"You keep _saying_ that," he says.

"What?"

"You guys," he says again. "You keep saying that, like it has so much meaning."

"Well, it's true. It is you guys. You're married now. You were my best friend, until the misses came along." At that El laughs.

"You're still my best friend, Chad," Troy says.

"Hey!" Brie says again, in mock protest this time.

"And you, Breezy, you are my best girl, forever and for always."

"I am definitely not that," I say.

All three of us crack up.


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey, lovely readers! **

**Thank you so much for the reviews for chapter 22! I'm glad you guys were OK with such a light-hearted chapter after what just happened. I didn't plan to make it so short, but it just felt right to end it there. Now we''ll delve back into the serious stuff. I'm really excited for you guys to read these upcoming chapters! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own HSM, nor do I own any songs, restaurants, or brands used in this chapter. **

**Thanks again for being the amazing readers that you are and enjoy chapter 23! **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 23

**Troy's POV: **

That night, Chad and Ted and some other guys from the basketball team patrol the apartment again. I wake several times, peer out the window at them, at the empty, quiet street. No sign of Matt. At least not yet. Brie was jumpy all day today, sure she'd heard him walking behind her. I'm afraid this whole thing has made her more paranoid than she already was to begin with, having too good of hearing than the average person, hearing absolutely everything around her. She sleeps beside me now, finally; it took her until after two AM to finally succumb to sleep, even with me right here. As for me, I don't think sleep is in the cards for me. It's already four-thirty and I've awoken for the fifth time in four hours. I don't want to leave the bed, because I don't want Brie to wake again, and so I lay there for the next hour and a half, staring at the ceiling and thinking of Matt, and how he hurt Brie.

**Gabriella's POV: **

Two days later, still vigilant as ever, I'm walking in the hallway with Troy. The place is crowded with people like always. All of the sudden, I lose him-Troy, I mean-and am tripped by someone because of my cane and end up sprawled all over the floor for about half a second until I have the sense to scoot back, out of the way, to gather my bearings. I'm shaking. _Was that Matt_? I wonder. God, I hope not.

All of the sudden, I feel someone come near me, kneel next to me, out an arm loosely around my shoulders.

"It's Ted here, Gabriella. You OK? What happened?" His voice is quiet, careful. He smooths my hair back in the way Troy often does. It must be a thing good boys just know how to do. I want to cry.

"I-I was walking with Troy when I got tripped-I-I don't who did it, but..." My voice trails off when my throat threatens to close up on me. I shake my head.

"Where's Troy now?" Ted asks.

"I-I don't know."

"We'll find him." Ted then helps me up, hands me my cane, and lets me grab his elbow. Together we proceed down the hallway. We walk a few feet until Ted yells, "Troy! Hey," and I feel us stop where we are. Footsteps near us, Troy's. He hugs me, pulls back to look at me, smooths my hair.

"What happened?"

I don't know if he's asking me or Ted, so I answer.

"I-I tripped and-

"Was it Matt?" Troy's voice goes past where I am, so I know he's talking to Ted now.

He says, "I don't know."

"I bet it was. Who else could it have been?"

"It could've been anyone," I say now. "It most likely was an accident. Look, I'm fine, really-

"Let me see your wrists." I let him grab one, take it gently in his hand; I hadn't even thought about them, until now.

"I'm sure they're fine," I say. "Aren't they?" I ask after a second.

"I think so," Troy says. "Do you feel any pain?"

I shake my head. I feel Troy draw me closer to him, wrapping an arm around me, still careful of the bruise on my back.

"Thanks, Ted," Troy says now.

"Yes, thank you," I'm quick to say.

"No problem. As long as El's OK." He pats my arms in a nice way. Tears prick at the corners of my eyes at his kindness.

**Troy's POV: **

Brie and I leave Ted, who had to go to the other end of East High for a class, and continue on our way to Science, our last class of the day. Up ahead a few feet, I can see Matt. All of the sudden, he turns around, as if on cue of me having seen him, and from the look on his face, somehow I know-_I just know_-he was the one to trip Brie back there. And all of the sudden, I am fuming, so angry I don't know what to do with myself. And so, one could also make the case that I was not in my right mind...when I ran up to Matt...and punched him.

**Gabriella's POV: **

All of the sudden, the hallway grows still and quiet, quiet, quiet. After a single punch was thrown, everyone stopped talking and no one started up again until I heard Jack yell, "Troy!" in a voice I've never heard before, and then, then I was afraid.

What had happened?

"El, hey, hey, you OK?" I am so happy to hear Taylor's voice I am ready to cry again. I realize I am shaking when she gives me a side hug. I also realize I had thrown my hands over my ears at the sound of the punch. I bring my hands down to my sides, where they clench into fists at all the tension.

Instead I just asked, "What just happened?" in a voice that I realize also is all wobbly.

"Troy just punched Matt," Taylor says quietly.

"Oh, God. Oh, God."

"Troy, Gabriella, I think you'd better come with me," Jack says quietly now and I really, really want to cry as Troy takes my hand and we go to see Principal Masters.

**Troy's POV: **

We step into the main office, me and Brie, both of us nervous and quiet.

"Dad, I-

"Save it, Troy, please," my father says quietly. "Let's just go talk to the principal, OK?"

Neither Brie nor myself say OK to that, but we step into the principal's office nonetheless.

"Troy, Gabriella," Principal Masters says kindly. "Jack," he says, nodding to my father. His smile fades when he sees the looks on our faces. He then asks, "what's this about?"

"Troy just had an...altercation...of sorts with Matt Denosen."

"Oh," he now says carefully. "Troy, would you like to tell me what happened?"

"No."

"Troy," my father challenges in a low voice.

"Matt tripped Brie," I finally say, holding Brie's hand even though we're seated right next to each other. "I know he did."

"Why do you say that? You 'know' he did? Did you actually see Matt trip Gabriella?"

"Well, no, but-

"And then to see you stride up and punch him! What were you thinking?"

"Dad!"

"Troy, did you punch Matt Denosen?" the principal asks me now.

"Yes," I say quietly. "I did."

**Gabriella's POV: **

Sitting here, listening to Troy and Jack and Principal Masters talking, I feel about two inches tall. I hate that we're sitting here because Troy punched Matt because Matt hurt me. It's all such a tangled web of bad things, I wouldn't know where to begin trying to unravel it. Frankly, I'm tired of it. When will the bad things stop happening to us? What I really should be asking myself is, when will I realize I'm not exempt from bad things, no matter how much Troy loves me?

Troy had always been gentle, to me. I'd never once seen him act out at anyone. This new side of himself was something I'd never seen before, and it made me feel uneasy.

"I only did it because he had been so awful to Brie," Troy says now, jolting me from thought.

"That still no reason to-

"He hurt her!" Troy says now, andI feel him scoot his chair back, stand up. "He _hurt_ her! When will people start hearing that?" I feel him shaking beside me.

"We did hear it, Troy," Jack says now, and he had, when we talked to both him and Sarah, along with my parents, of course, when the whole thing Matt started over a week ago.

"There is never an excuse to hit anyone, Troy," Principal Masters says now.

"I know," I hear Troy mutter. "I've never hit anyone before. But if you had seen the _look_ on his face, you would know like I do that he was the one to trip Brie in the hallway."

"There's never any excuse to hit anyone, Troy," Principal Masters says again, and at that I reach up to grab Troy's arm, to feel it tight with tension.

"Can we get off me for a second? Don't you want to know why I punched him? Surely, if you look up my record to see it clear, no blemishes on it whatsoever, this will look very odd."

"You made your point, Troy," Jack says flatly. "And what you had wasn't much."

"Then let me start over, let me make it again," he says. "Matt hurt Gabriella and that was unacceptable to me. After being under constant stress for days and then seeing him pin Gabriella against a locker, bruising her wrists-he takes my wrists, still encased in ice-packs, something we were going to see nurse Julie about ASAP, and lifts them out of my lap for the principal and my father-in-law to see-and her back, resulting in her being totally freaked out and unable to sleep, which left me all worried and panicked for her safety and my ability to take care of her, leaving my friends to stay up _all night_ to watch the apartment to make sure Matt didn't come around again, and then this tripping incident, I finally had enough. Is that answer acceptable to you?" Troy snaps at his father.

Both Jack and Principal Masters are silent, so I say: "Troy was trying to protect me the only way he knew how."

"Yes, I was angry and there was some pent-up aggression there, I won't deny that," Troy says, "but what Matt did to Gabriella at 14 was wrong and what he's doing now is wrong! Why isn't anyone doing anything about it?"

"And you thought punching him was doing something about it?" Principal Masters fires back, raising his voice as well.

"I know it was wrong to punch him!" Troy yells now. "I know it was wrong to stoop to his level! I know that! But if you cold've seen the look on his face-

"That's enough, Troy," Jack says now. "John, what are you planning on doing about this-

"What about what you're planning on doing about Matt?"

"Troy-

"I've made a decision", Principal Masters finally says, clearing his throat.

**Troy's POV: **

I look down to Brie, look up to Principal Masters, waiting to see what he'll say.

"I hereby suspend you, Troy, for the period of one day."

"_What_?" Brie screeches besides me. "You can't do that!"

"Brie," I start to say.

"No, Troy, don't 'Brie' me. This isn't fair!"

"And why not, Gabriella? Tell me how this isn't fair, will you?" Principal Masters says now.

"Because!" Brie sputters. "Troy was protecting me! You're going to suspend him for defending me?"

"I'm going to reiterate this one more time, because you kids seem to not be hearing me on this: violence is never the answer!"

"I _know_ that!" Brie and I yell at the same time. I look down to see Brie's lip starting to tremble. She looks as though she might cry; I know that's because she's frustrated, and upset. I know that because I am, too.

"That's not all it was," I say quietly. "That's what I'm saying. This wasn't just because I could, or just because I wanted to. This was for Brie, for how much I hate what Matt did to her, how I don't want him to get away with anything."

"And I love you for that, but-

"But nothing. I'll take the suspension," I say.

'Then you'll have to suspend me, too," Brie says.

"Brie, no-

"It'll go on your permanent record, Gabriella," Principal Masters says. "I highly advise against it."

"I don't care," Brie says, folding her arms across her chest in defiance.

"Sweetheart, seriously, I love you for this, but you don't have to-

"I do, Troy. We're a team, remember?"

I have to smile a little at that.

"Indeed we are," I say, grabbing her hand and holding it.

"I cannot recommend you do this, Gabriella," Principal Masters says.

"Yes, El," my father says now. "I know you love Troy and I know you want to be in this with him, but-

"But nothing," Brie says. "It's my decision and I've made up my mind. You suspend Troy, you suspend me too."

"Gabriella. no-

"Yes!" Brie says, standing up. "Yes! I'm the one this is all happening to. _Listen_ to me, please!"

Both my father and the principal fall silent, and Brie takes her cue once she realizes this.

"I'm going to suspend myself," Brie says, her voice shaking ever so slightly. "I'm OK with this, really. I can't-I can't be in school without Troy anyway, not with Matt still lurking around corners." Brie tries to smile at this, but doesn't make it. A tear slips down her cheek instead, and she sits back down, fiddling with the ice-pack on her right wrists. I grab her hand, and kiss it.

"I love you," I say quietly.

"I love you too," she says.

"Well, it's decided, then," Principal Masters says finally. "Troy and Gabriella Bolton are hereby suspended for the period of one day."

"John, no, you cannot be thinking of going forward with this-

"Jack, I know you're looking out for them, I know you want to protect them, but there's nothing you can do. They're emancipated."

"I know," my father says quietly now, his voice low in his throat.

"Dad-

"It's all right, Troy, I'll talk to you about this when you're back in school."

I nod, look at him to see him look away from me.

"Can we go now?" Brie asks quietly.

"Yes, you're free to go," Principal Masters says. "We'll be questioning Matt next. I'll walk you out."

All four of us get up to leave the principal's office, go into the main office.

"Matt?" Principal Masters says. "Come into my office, please." Matt walks by us. At least I know he won't be looking for Brie for at least a half an hour or so.

Brie and I walk in the hallway out to the student parking lot, the school amazingly still and quiet, seeing as the school day finished while we were with the principal.

"You OK, Breezy?" I ask now, as I push open the doors to the student parking lot.

"No," Brie says, shaking her head. 'I'm suspended! I've never been suspended in my entire school career, let alone volunteered to be! Some crazy guy is on the lookout for me, who also happens to be the guy who hurt me, who also happens to be the guy you punched earlier today. So, no, I'm not OK," she says, and I'm afraid she's going to cry again. "Can we just go home now?"

"Yeah, honey," I say, wrapping her up in my arms, gently, kissing the top of her head. "Let's go home."

"I am sorry," I say quietly to her once we're in the car.

"Well, don't be," Brie says, sniffling, wiping her eyes. "I'm upset, but I love that you protected me."

I hold her hand for a brief second and am glad when she relaxes against me, putting her head on my shoulder for the rest of the ride home.


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey, lovely readers! **

**Thanks for your lovely reviews for chapter 23! Much appreciated! I wondered how you guys would react to Gabriella's suspending voluntarily on behalf of Troy, and I'm glad you thought was OK. I thought it was kind of romantic, myself. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own HSM, nor do I own any brands, restaurants, TV shows, or songs mentioned in this chapter. **

**Thanks again for reading and enjoy chapter 24! **

Troy and Gabriella: Perfectly Clear

Chapter 24

**Troy's POV: **

I bet Principal Masters would love to know that on our day of suspension, Friday, the very next day after the punching incident, all Brie and I did was sleep. And do homework.

Yep, that's really what happened.

We slept fitfully and then a lot, and then fitfully and then a lot, and on and on like that from Thursday night into Friday afternoon. Brie had nightmares again, I calmed her down, and then she slept and then she woke up and then she slept and on and on like that until she woke up around one o'clock, finally catching up on all the sleep she missed out on ever since Matt came back. And when we both woke up, officially, we ate left-over takeout from earlier in the week for a late lunch, and then delved into the homework Taylor had dropped off at noon over lunch and slipped under the door. We don't talk much, we are both tired by all that's happened since Matt came around.

At one point, Brie gets frustrated by a particularly difficult math problem, so much so that she actually cries, but I know it's not the homework she's sad about. I gather her in my arms and she cries and cries. She cries until she's tired again. And when she's done, she doesn't apologize. She looks up at me, her face a mix between trying to smile and trying to stifle more tears rising in her throat. I merely bring her head towards me in my two hands, press a gentle kiss to her forehead. She leans her forehead against mine, and we stay like that, silent, for a good few minutes before returning to the homework.

When we're done with that, it's nearing six o'clock. We order chinese food and eat it while watching a movie. Brie picked a happy one, Thirteen Going on Thirty, and I don't make fun of it, knowing that she just wants to forget, look at someone else's life instead of her own for a while, for all the bad stuff that's happened.

We keep watching movies, just for something to do. Our friends have been calling and calling us, just like they were last night, but I don't answer any of them back. Brie and I both will leave that until Monday, until we must face it all again when we return to East High.

We stay on the couch all evening, no sound but the TV and the hum of the washing machine and the dryer and our occasional conversation. I peer out the window at around 11:00 to see Chad and Ted and the guys back to watch the apartment. I fire off a text that reads simply, _thanks_. Chad texts back, _it's you guys_, and I look over to Brie and smile for the first time in forever. We watch movies until we both end up falling asleep together on the couch. I wake at about 2:30, and I gently rouse Brie awake, lead her to bed, and we fall asleep again almost immediately, exhausted by a day spent doing nothing.

**Gabriella's POV: **

Monday morning, Troy and I return to the school after our suspension. We are swarmed by what seems like the entire student body.

"What, a husband-and-wife double-suspension is the talk of the school?" I say sarcastically as I try to elbow my way through the throng of kids.

"When it's voluntary, it is," one boy answers, laughing, high-five-ing his buddies.

"What, is this some kind of _joke_ to you?" I say to him now. "Because, if you think you can-

"Brie," Troy says gently to me, and just like that, tears spring into my eyes and it's not even eight in the morning. I fold into him and he takes my hand and guides me out of the chaos, kind of like he's done every other step of my life since I met him. Kind of like he always will.

**Chad's POV: **

In math class, right after lunch, I see Ella come into the room alone, looking slightly afraid. She steps timidly inside with her cane and her bag, her whole body tensing, in search of something.

"El, hey," I say quietly, coming up to her. "Chad here. What's up? Where's Troy?"

"He had to run to get something from Ms. Davis, ask her a question about the up-coming English test," she says, her demeanor still on edge. "Where's Matt?" she finally asks, her voice shaking. "Is he here?"

"No, no he's not," I say, only to have my sentence trail off as Matt enters the room that very instant. El notices this and says in a whisper, "He's here, now, isn't he?"

"Yeah," I say, and I put an arm around her. I see Troy come in shortly behind him. I am so glad El cannot see the look on Matt's face that I want to cry, right there in Ms. Hart's fourth period stats class.

"Hey, you OK?" Troy says now to his wife, taking her hand so she knows it's him. "Ready to go to your seat?"

She nods, without saying anything and he leads her away. I stand there watching them, until the bell rings and class has started.

**Taylor's POV: **

After school, after basketball practice, I'm with Chad at the grocery store, shopping for snacks for tomorrow's student council meeting. I'm grabbing some veggie plates when I see a dark head of hair whip past me. I whirl around and know that it's Matt.

"What do you think you're doing?" I say to him.

"What do you mean?"

"Um, harming my best friend and causing her and her husband to get suspended?"

"Troy punched _me_, remember?"

"Can you blame him?"

Matt doesn't answer me. He just looks at me with this defiant smirk-the same look, I imagine, he gave Troy before the punching happened-and ran out.

"Chad!" I scream, right in the middle of the produce isle. He comes running to me, worried and frantic. He grabs both of my arms, faces me.

"It's Matt," I say breathlessly. "It's Matt, he-

"He, what?" Chad asks. 'Did he hurt you, talk to you?"

"No, no, he didn't touch me, we just talked for, like, two minutes, he just-the look on his face made me know he was headed for the Bolton's place."

"Oh, God," Chad says. "Oh, God." We both leave our cart, and run out.


End file.
